Steve Brine joined a number of Conservative colleagues, and a handful of Labour MPs, in supporting a Parliamentary motion calling for a referendum on Britain's relationship with the European Union.
Held on the evening of Monday 24th October, the motion, called by Conservative MP David Nuttall, led to a five hour Commons debate, and was prompted by a petition supporting referendum calls signed by over 100,000 people. The motion specifically called for a referendum on whether the UK should stay in the EU, leave or renegotiate its membership.
After the 10pm vote, Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP Steve Brine, who backed calls, said: "As always, I took this debate and this vote very seriously and sat through much of the debate in the House of Commons.
"For the first time in many years, as a direct result of the Government's new petitions website, Parliament debated Britain's relationship with Europe. The 'in', 'out' or 'renegotiate' motion before us was far from perfect, and sadly it wasn't passed, but I backed calls to give people a say on our future in the EU.
"Firstly, if we can have a referendum on the Alternative Vote (remember that) we can - and we should have one on membership of a club that costs us billions of pounds each year.
"Secondly, I think this was about much more than today's debate and one motion in the House of Commons. It is thirty-six years since we were last asked our view on the EU and, as a democrat I think that is long enough.
"Finally, I think our country needs to decide what it wants. We cannot continue to play a dangerous game of 'in out shake it all about' when it comes to our membership of the EU. It's time we settled this and moved on one way or another; and that cannot happen without directly asking the British public in a national referendum.
"Voting against the Government is not something I take at all lightly but on this occasion it was the right thing to do."
More information...
You can find read exactly what was said at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm111024/debtext/111024-0002.htm#1110247000001.
Watch the whole debate again (starting at 1hr 57mins) at http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=9156.