Letter: Referendum Party's Dicey quotation

Sir: The Referendum Party's attempt to give its case academic respectability is spurious.

It quotes extensively from Dicey's introduction to The Study of the Law of the Constitution, 8th edition, London 1920. But it fails to point out that the introduction expresses Dicey's personal views. The idea of a referendum is not mentioned in the main text.

And it only appears in the introduction to the 8th edition when Dicey - like the Referendum Party - thought a referendum might get support for his views on an issue (Home Rule) on which he was unlikely to win otherwise. There is no mention of a referendum anywhere in editions 1-7 or editions after the 8th when the distinguished editor - after consultation - decided it was inappropriate to include it even in the introduction. How can one have any faith in a party that uses such deceptive tactics?

SIR TERENCE HIGGINS MP

(Worthing, Con)

House of Commons

London SW1