This just hit the inboxes of every Tory MP. Eustice was Cameron’s former Press Secretary, so you know it’s from the top:

Many colleagues have asked whether it would be possible to consider amending the current motion on an EU referendum next Monday so that is more closely reflects the views of the majority of the parliamentary party while being consistent with the intention behind the petition we have received.  A number of us have submitted the following amended motion which I hope you might consider supporting:  

“This House calls upon the Government to publish a White Paper during the next session of parliament setting out the powers and competences that the Government would seek to repatriate from the EU, to commence a renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with the EU and to put the outcome of those negotiations to a national referendum.”

In the meeting that we held early in September, there was a strong consensus among colleagues that the EU is now an issue that unites rather than divides Conservatives and that, now we are in government, front benchers and back benchers should work together to deliver a fresh start in our relationship with the EU.  This amendment is consistent with the coalition agreement which gave a clear commitment to examine the competences of the EU which a White Paper setting out a renegotiating position would fulfil.  The advantage of having a referendum after the renegotiation rather than before is that the public would then be able to judge whether or not the government had succeeded and this would put pressure on the government to negotiate forcefully.

There is no guarantee that this amendment would be called and I should also point out that, despite being consistent with the coalition agreement, it is not yet supported by the government.  However, they have given an undertaking to consider their position over the next few days and take on board representations received.  I would therefore urge any backbench MPs who feel closer to this motion than the one currently tabled to add their names to it.  Likewise, I would urge any front bench MP who would like the opportunity to vote in favour of the motion rather than be ordered to follow Ed Miliband through the voting lobbies to make their views known to the Prime Minister’s office.

Anyone who would like to add their name to the list must do so before 3pm tomorrow (Friday).  If you are not in London, please email my office.  We will be trying to arrange for someone to table names on behalf of those who are absent.  If you want to help and happen to be in London, please let me know.

George Eustice MP

Member of Parliament for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Is that the sound of the long grass rustling…?

The LibDems stood on a manifesto commitment to hold an In/Out EU referendum. They were so keen on the idea that they set up a petition campaign website:

You can still sign…

UPDATE: Took them a few hours to erase the evidence down the digital memory hole.

LibDem HQ has just taken down their "Campaign for EU In/Out Referendum" website. Down the memory hole. guyfawk.es/quEBHc—
Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) October 20, 2011

The coverage from Libya is obviously eclipsing Westminster, but the In/Out fight is developing. This whole thing is an unnecessary mess for No.10. For better or worse they would have won a free vote with the help of Labour, and time is running out for a wrecking amendment. The weekly Tory whip email says that the three-line is on and No. 10 have said they will sack any PPS who rebels against it. There is talk of an organised resignation pact between the Parliamentary Private Secretaries, but having texted a couple of the more likely candidates, they suggest that they will wait to see what the Prime Minister has to say on Monday. So far only Stewart Jackson, PPS to Owen Paterson, has broken cover:

“Some things are more important than party preferment. The bond of trust with my constituents, the views of people who have had no say on our European policy in any substantive sense for 31 years and I think I owe it to them to give them that say.”

He says he would be disappointed to lose the job. As Guido mentioned earlier, we could even see Ministerial resignations with Nick Herbert’s name being mentioned more than once. It’s worth remembering Willets and Alan Duncan were Maastricht agitators too.

Looking even higher up the ladder, there is open discussion of just what Iain Duncan Smith is going to do. Just two weeks ago he was writing about what a hindrance the EU is to his beloved brief… 

AFP have this:

Turns out he wasn’t in Venezuela after all…

Guido has been trying to get hold of the Bob Russell this morning, but it seems that his office don’t like answering the phone. The LibDem has replaced the disgraced Mike Hancock on the Defence Select Committee. Russell is MP for Colchester, a garrison town; and he was a member of the LibDem “Shadow” defence team from 2005 until 2010 , so seemingly fits the role. He’s also Hancock’s flatmate…

Russell potentially had as much access to defence documents as Mike Hancock did, crucially whilst the Handy-cock’s affair was going on. Given the circumstances, perhaps Bob Russell could answer a few questions:

• Did he know about Hancock’s affair?
• Did he ever meet Zatuliveter at the flat he shares with Hancock?
• Did she ever stay there?
• Did he ever leave defence related documents at the flat?
• Did he ever leave his laptop or Blackberry at the flat?

Guido will call back after lunch…

The list of Tory rebels welding machine guns to their jeeps and preparing to drive across the desert to Colonel Gaddavei’s compound, is going to reach 100. Guido has had an interesting tip from usually reliable sources: Word is that up to fifteen junior ministers and whips are threatening to break the three-line whip on Monday. There are some very angry voices on the inside, but emphasis is on the “threatening”…

It seems that the leadership are trying to be clever by trailing the prospect of a three-line whip to take the pressure off of voting day. Announcing it today gives time to row back over the weekend in an attempt to make Monday a damp squib. Guido isn’t sure these back-room manoeuvres will work…

Simon Hoggart writes…

“Such is the loathing politicians feel for the press (except reporters they like) that anyone can now blame their behaviour not upon themselves, but on the media for exposing them.”

It only took twenty-five rebels to derail Major’s government and already nearly triple that number of Tory MPs have agreed to support an EU referendum when it is debated in the House on  Monday. Add to that the fifty-seven Liberal Democrat MPs who stood on a pledge to have an In/Out debate. They don’t have a track record of selling out on promises, do they?

Already Dave and co are sweating, and that’s before the growing number of Euro-sceptic union backed Labour MPs are taken into account. Tory careerist types shouldn’t worry too much about toadying – as has been said elsewhere, the leader of the Maastricht rebels ended up becoming the Tory leader. What might get you a pat on the head and a chocolate button from Osborne in the short term, will cost you in the long run...

UPDATE: The LibDems sell out, the news is breaking that they will be three lined whip against the referendum. Have a look at what Clegg said it 2008:

“Nobody in this country under the age of 51 has ever been asked that simple question. That includes half of all MPs. We’ve been signed up to Europe by default: two generations who have never had their say.”

Why’s that Nick?