'I don't want an "in or out" referendum because I don't think "out" is in Britain's interests.'

In November 2009, a few months before the General Election, the Conservative leader David Cameron was interviewed by Andrew Marr on the BBC about Britain's relationship with the European Union.

Cameron declared: 'I don't want an "in or out" referendum because I don't think "out" is in Britain's interests.'

Does he really have no confidence at all that he would be able to persuade us of this view?

The comment suggests that withdrawal from the EU would be a foregone conclusion should such a referendum take place.

Opinion polls do indicate growing demand to withdraw from the European Union. An Angus Reid poll in December showed 48 per cent wanting to leave the EU, compared to 27 per cent wishing to stay in.

When Cameron made those comments there was at least the logic that the Government of the day should not offer a referendum on a course of action that it was not recommending.

In other words, a referendum should act as a check, a veto, something that the Government should require confirmation before having the authority to proceed with its chosen course.

That objection to a referendum on our membership of the European Union is no longer valid. That is because the Government is already offering us a referendum on changing our voting system from 'first past the post' to the Alternative Vote.