In/out EU vote: generations have been denied a view, says backbencher James Wharton as he launches Bill Whole generations of people have been denied a say on Britain's membership of the European Union and now deserve an in/out referendum, a Conservative MP said today. James Wharton, the 29-year-old MP for Stockton South, was speaking as he introduced his EU (Referendum) Bill in the Commons, which would ensure the public vote on UK membership by the end of 2017, as David Cameron has promised. He said: "I am not here today to put an argument about whether we should be in or out...but that we should let the British people have a say." The youngest Tory MP added: "I speak for many millions outside because it was in 1975 of course that the Labour government gave the British people a say on our membership of the European community. How things have changed? Politics has moved on and the European Union has moved on. It is time we had a referendum. The Tory benches were packed after the party imposed a three-line whip to support the measure, which looks certain to win a second reading today. Most Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs stayed away from the debate, although some Labour Eurosceptics turned up. Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, was cheered by Tory MPs when she said a majority of Labour supporters want a referendum. The Private Member's Bill is unlikely become law. It is expected to be blocked by Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs during its later stages and, because it is not a government measure, to run out of parliamentary time. Douglas Alexander, the shadow Foreign Secretary, said Labour did not support the Bill because it is "not in the national interest." He told the Commons: "This Bill is not being brought forward because Conservative backbenchers trust the people. It is being brought forward because Conservative backbenchers do not trust the Prime Minister. But challenged by Tory MPs, Mr Alexander could not rule out a change of Labour's policy on a referendum before the 2015 election. Simon Hughes, the Lib Dems' deputy leader, said his constituents' priorities were "jobs, growth and investment," which would be put at risk by the uncertainty over EU membership caused by a referendum. In the short term, the Bill has united Tory MPs on the divisive issue of Europe. Mr Cameron, who was on the front bench for today's debate, said before it began: "If this Bill passes, and I believe it can pass, then we will have set out in law the need for a referendum on an in-out basis before the end of 2017...I'll do everything I can to support this Bill and get it through the House of Commons so that we can renegotiate in Europe and then put a real choice to people before the end of 2017."