REFERENDUM NOW DEPENDS ON A LOTTERY

 UPDATE

A bill paving the way for a referendum on the UK's EU membership will be introduced by a Conservative MP.

Eurosceptic James Wharton topped a ballot of backbenchers which allows him to introduce his own legislation.
He will have full Tory support to bring forward a bill outlining the terms of a referendum to be held by 2017.
Private member's bills face a struggle to become law and the Conservative EU bill is likely to be opposed by the Lib Dems and Labour.

UPDATE


Here is the full list of those who voted for the amendment and because it got defeated it now goes to the lottery of the private members bill at 9am this morning.

It is a shame that the future of the UK has now become placed on the fortune of a lottery and even then may come to nothing.

MPs - including the 116 Tories who backed the amendment - are now waiting to see if they will be among the 20 drawn first in a ballot at 09:00 BST to introduce their own legislation.

Private member's bill ballot

• Backbench MPs put names into a ballot
• First seven drawn usually get allocated a day's debate
• Have to go through same stages as other bills
• But they are only debated on Fridays
• Needs 100 MPs support to clear first few hurdles
• Most, lacking government support, do not become law
• In 2012-13, 10 private member's bills became law