Video: William Hague: EU Referendum Bill off to 'a good start' MPs have voted unanimously to hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union by the end of 2017. As the House of Commons backed the new laws by 304 votes to nil, Foreign Secretary William Hague said it was "a good start" for the Bill whilst criticising Labour's attempts to block the vote. He said: "Labour didn't have the courage to vote for or against our Bill and that suggests that in later stages, they will try to block the Bill in various ways. But it's a good start for the Bill, reinforcing our commitment to give the British people an in-out referendum by the end of 2017. It's right that in a democracy you should give people a say. They haven't had a say since 1975, which means anybody younger than me has never had a vote on the European Union. So, it's right in principle and it's in our national interest to work for a reformed EU and then give people the choice about that. While the Conservatives have been focused on giving people a say on Europe today, Ed Miliband and the Labour Party have been busy tearing themselves apart over Unite's takeover. This shows what a weak leader Ed Miliband is.