Grant Shapps writes on the "Let Britain Decide" campaign for a referendum

On Friday 5th July, Conservatives will vote to give the British public a say on Europe.
This EU Referendum Bill could give us the first vote on the EU in over 40 years, after a renegotiation for a new deal in the EU. It is historic.
Unfortunately the other parties don’t trust you to have your say on Europe. So we urgently need to put public pressure on Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs to unite behind a referendum.
That’s why I’m writing to you today. I’m inviting you to be part of history by publicly co-sponsoring the EU Referendum Bill itself right here: facebook.com/letbritaindecide.
Thanks and best wishes,
Grant Shapps signature
Grant Shapps
Conservative Party Chairman
P.S.
We’ve got a real fight on our hands which you can help us win. Please remember to ask your friends and family to sign up too.

Comments

Jim said…
"On Friday 5th July, Conservatives will vote to give the British public a say on Europe."

Remember a couple of days ago when you were commenting on how irksome it is when people just don't understand statistics.

One thing that really narks me is people talking about "Europe". Europe is a continent and it is not the same thing as the European Union.

Its just one of my pet hates is all, Television and Newspapers tend to do this a lot. Though the chairman of the Conservative party should really know better.

3:37 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
I undertand your point about the conflation of the terms "Europe" and "The European Union." You are right that they are not the same thing and it can be a sign of sloppy thinking if people talk as though they were.

In this case Grant was using "a say on Europe" as shorthand for "a vote on Britain's continued membership of the European Union."

I don't think too many people would fail to realise what he meant.
7:55 am
Jim said…
Its just one of the things that annoys me is all I am saying.

There are not many that do, and I can even be happy when an American writes a "check" to pay for something.

The 3 things that do really annoy me though:
1: Europe and The European Union being used interchangeably.
2: refering to an aircraft as an airplane. - its an aeroplane.
3: most irksome of all Pronouncing Aluminium as A-loo-min-um.
5:18 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
Indeed. And in some cases this can cause real confusion - for example, there is both a European Court and a European Court of Human Rights.

I wonder how what percentage of people would be able to say which of these is part of the EU and which is nothing to do with the EU?

I dare some most of the readers of this blog probably know that the former is part of the EU but that the ECHR and European Convention on Human Rights which it rules on are not, but an awful lot of journalists don't appear to.
4:25 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
"Airplane" annoys me as well. An example of the version of "English" used on the other side of the pond which is not correct on the British side. (Apologies to US readers!)
4:27 pm
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