EU referendum: David Lidington on James Wharton bill Backing James Wharton's bill calling for an EU referendum would "create a statutory duty" on the post-2015 government to hold a vote by 2017, said the Europe Minister. David Lidington spoke as MPs were debating the private member's bill which could trigger the vote in the next parliament, but he was asked to explain how a future government would be bound by the move. He spoke to Andrew Neil about British relations with the EU, and how that could change in the coming years.