Ed Miliband knew that he would be challenged by David Cameron at today’s PMQs to say whether he will match his pledge to hold an in/out referendum on the EU. And he also knew that laconically replying, “I ask the questions”, wouldn’t be good enough. So his answer, when it came, was a clear one: “My position is no! We don’t want an in/out referendum.” It was a response that will have been greeted with cheers across CCHQ. The Tories now have an on-the-record pledge from Miliband to deny the voters a say on the EU.
Oddly, however, Cameron failed to take advantage of Miliband’s error. Rather than attacking the Labour leader for opposing a referendum, he accused him of having no position at all. “His whole argument about uncertainty is undermined by his inability to say whether he supports a referendum or not”, Cameron said, adding: “go away and get a policy”. For today, at least, Miliband was spared.
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