By Simon Walters and Glen Owen PUBLISHED: 16:00 EST, 5 October 2013 | UPDATED: 16:05 EST, 5 October 2013 Downing Street was thrown into panic last night by a rebel Tory bid to force an early referendum on quitting the EU. In a direct challenge to the Prime Minister’s authority, Conservative MP Adam Afriyie said people did not trust David Cameron’s pledge to hold a vote on Europe in 2017. Backed by Tory and Labour Eurosceptics, he is set to force a Commons vote on the issue in five weeks’ time. If he wins, it would mean Parliament had ruled that the referendum should be fast-forwarded to next October.
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Tory MP Adam Afriyie said people did not trust David Cameron to hold referendum in 2017
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He is set to force a vote on the issue in five weeks' time backed by Tory and Labour Eurosceptics
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If he wins, a referendum on Europe should be fast forwarded to next October
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Says voters are ‘suspicious’ of the PM’s offer of a referendum four years from now and believe it is merely a ploy to put off the issue – possibly for ever.
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Questions whether Mr Cameron can win the Election, and takes a sideswipe at his Tory conference rallying cry that he wants to make the UK ‘the land of opportunity’.
@placeholder made it clear the Prime Minister will refuse point-blank to accelerate the referendum.
we must resolve our relationship with @placeholder and that should not wait until 2017.’