Referendum on European Constitution a welcome move.

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 19th Apr 2004

The likely decision to hold a referendum on the European Constitution was welcomed today by Totnes Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, Mike Treleaven. Commenting on the news he said:

' Liberal Democrats have been calling for a referendum on this issue for months and I am very pleased that the Government has done a U- turn and come around to our way of thinking. It is a pity that the decision had to come out through briefings and spin rather than a straight forward announcement, but we are used to the Government working in this way'

He continued:

'A referendum on the constitution will lead to a nationwide debate on our relationship with the European Union and give a chance for the public to be fully informed rather than depending on the media hype that we have become so used to. It is time that Britain decided whether or not it wants to be a major and influential player in the Europe and I look forward to campaigning for us to be so.