Euro vote makes history

Last updated at 13:35 20 April 2004


The referendum on the proposed European Union constitution will be the first nationwide poll for more than a quarter-of-a-century.

The last was in 1975 on Britain's continued membership of Europe following Harold Wilson's renegotiated terms proposed the year before.

In the end, the referendum endorsed Britain's membership by a decisive majority of 67% to 33% on a 65% turnout.

That referendum was described at the time by journalist James Cameron as "like asking a patient, 'Would you like your appendix back?"'

However, since 1997, when Labour came to power, there have been regionalised referendums on the creation of a London Assembly with an elected Mayor, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.

In addition some 30 local authorities have had referendums on the introduction of an elected mayor.

And in 1973 a referendum was held in Northern Ireland on whether the Province should remain part of the United Kingdom. A total of 98% (in a 58% turn-out) said "yes".

In 1979 a referendum on Scottish devolution, not long before the Tories returned to power, fell just short of the majority required. Pro-devolutionists said at the time that this had set Scottish devolution back 20 years - a prediction which was almost precisely borne out by events.

John Major's Government in 1992-3 successfully resisted calls for a referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, despite Margaret Thatcher's call to "let the people speak".

There has always been a reluctance by British Governments to hold nation-wide referendums.

In 1945 Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee told

Winston Churchill: "I could not consent to the introduction into our national life of a device so alien to all our traditions as the referendum, which has only too often been the instrument of Nazism and Fascism."

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