Election caution for Gorman over referendum debate

Government whips have launched a desperate effort to avert a new row over Europe as both Houses of Parliament prepare to debate the issue next week, writes Fran Abrams.

Teresa Gorman, Conservative MP for Billericay, who will present a Bill calling for a referendum on Tuesday, is believed to have been told that if she does not withdraw she could find an official "Conservative" candidate standing against her at the general election.

With Euro-sceptic support apparently increasing on Government back benches, party officials are worried that her move will cause further splits in the party. A Bill introduced by Bill Cash earlier this year won 70 votes. A repeat of that so close to an election would be deeply embarrassing. There have been claims that other Euro-sceptics have been under pressure not to support her.

Mrs Gorman did not comment on the whips' behaviour, but did say yesterday that some colleagues with small majorities had been critical of her stand. "People keep coming up to me with white faces and staring eyes and saying I am going to lose the election for them," she said.

Mrs Gorman, whose constituency now includes a third of the highly marginal Basildon after boundary changes, said voters in the area were telling her they wanted Europe to be made an election issue.

"There has to be some reason why we are 20 points behind in the polls when the economy is in a good state."

Other Euro-sceptics de nied last night that they had been put under pressure.

A senior whips' office source said: "Candidate selection is most certainly not a matter for us. It is entirely in the hands of individual constituency associations."