Hammersmith to Have EU Ballet
Residents to get vote on European Constitution
A consortium calling for a referendum on the EU Constitution has delivered ballot papers and inflated a giant ballot box in Hammersmith.
The campaign was launched on February 6 by Shaun Bailey, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Hammersmith, Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, London MEPs, Syed Kamall and Charles Tannock, and Derek Scott, Chairman of the I Want a Referendum campaign and former chief foreign policy adviser to Tony Blair.
Shaun Bailey, the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Hammersmith, said: "In the coming weeks, we will be campaigning with people from all parties to make the most of this opportunity. I want to urge as many people as possible in Hammersmith to vote in this referendum."
"We believe that this European Constitution would be bad for Britain and would lead to important decisions about crime, public services and immigration being taken in Brussels, not by us here in Britain. "People should be allowed to have a say, before we give such important powers to the EU."
In addition to the ballot paper, all voters in Hammersmith will receive an information leaflet with contributions from both sides of the debate and a freepost envelope in which to return the ballot.
The voting form will ask two questions:
(a) Should there be a national referendum on the EU Constitution (now known as the Lisbon Treaty?)
(b) Should the UK adopt the Treaty?
Everyone on the open electoral register of voters in Hammersmith will receive a ballot paper. Those who are not on the electoral register can call 0208 889 9203, or email customerservices@electoralreform.co.uk and request a ballot paper.
Voting will be going on between 6 February and 25 February and the result of the referendum will be announced before the end of the month.
To carry out the poll, the I Want a Referendum campaign has commissioned the Electoral Reform Services (ERS) - the world's leading independent ballot administrator and independent scrutineer. The ERS is recognised in UK parliamentary legislation and by the UN.
The vote in the Hammersmith constituency will be part of a first wave of referendums in constituencies across the UK organised by iwantareferendum.com.
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Emma Midgley
February 8, 2008
