David Cameron facing major rebellion over EU membership

David Cameron is faced with a major rebellion over EU membership following Conservative back-benchers forcing a vote in parliament next week on bringing forward a referendum.

In what is seen as a fresh blow to his authority as prime minister, a group of conservative eurosceptics yesterday tabled an amendment in the House of Commons for a bill to be drawn up opposing his stance on a public vote.

Cameron had promised a referendum on EU membership in 2017 if the conservatives won the 2015 general election, but the rebel group was calling for legislation for the drafting of the vote in the current parliament.

The move, is expected to come up for discussion on Tuesday and would is likely to win the support of dozens of Tory back-benchers, as it followed a failure to include legislation for a referendum in this week's Queen's Speech.

It also comes as a defeat for the conservatives at the polls in the English county council elections last week, with the anti-EU membership UK Independence Party (Ukip) picking up over a quarter of the vote.

Also, this week saw a series of Conservative Party members led by former chancellor Lord Lawson and former defence secretary Michael Portillo call for pulling out of the EU.

According to another former chancellor, Lord Lamont, membership of the EU was now against British interests.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported citing Downing Street, David Cameron could vote in parliament to condemn his own Queen's Speech for failing to include a EU referendum Bill.

Also, a Number 10 spokesman said, the prime minister was ''happy'' to examine any way of reinforcing his commitment to holding a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

Cameron would ''carefully consider'' a Commons amendment drawn up by eurosceptic Tory MPs that criticised the absence of a Bill paving the way for a in an in-out referendum in the government's legislative programme.

According to a spokesman for the prime minister, the amendment had only recently been tabled and he would definitely want to carefully consider it. He added the prime minister was happy to look at all ways of strengthening his commitment to an in-out referendum.

The  report cited Downing Street sources as saying that Cameron was ''relaxed'' about allowing senior Tory ministers to support the amendment.

It would be unprecedented however, for members of the cabinet or even the prime minister to criticise the Queen's Speech, which they were responsible for writing, in a Commons vote, according to the newspaper.