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THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW Highlighting best practice 54 | REVIEW OF PARLIAMENT Cameron. Mr Clegg came under heavy fire from Eurosceptic Conservatives, including Edward Leigh, who produced a Lib Dem election leaflet quoting Mr Clegg promising an in–out referendum. Was the Nick Clegg quoted there an imposter or a hypocrite? Mr Clegg retorted that the government had already legislated to guarantee a referendum when the next major change in EU rules is proposed, which made it a question of when, not if, there would be a vote. When the Queen's Speech debate resumed, there were several exchanges of friendly fire between Conservative MPs. The chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Richard Ottaway, attacked the idea that Britain could withdraw and seek a new trade-only relationship with the EU, along the lines of Norway and Switzerland. 'Norway and Switzerland do not call the shots,' he said. 'They pay billions every year for access to the single market, and Switzerland has been forced into renegotiation.' A Eurosceptic colleague, Bernard Jenkin, intervened: 'I cannot imagine that the EU would want to cut itself off from the British market by getting into a trade war … May I also point out that we export more to the rest of the world than to the EU?' In the end, the Conservative leadership told their ministers to abstain, and allowed backbenchers a free vote. The results were striking: 116 Conservative MPs – the vast majority of non-ministers – backed the amendment. Along with a smattering of non-Tories, that produced 130 votes in favour – but Labour and the Lib Dems mustered 277 against. Technically, this was not a 'rebellion', but it is unprecedented for a government party to allow its MPs to abstain in a vote over its Queen's Speech, let alone back an amendment. The Prime Minister declared himself 'relaxed' about the outcome, and the following day James Wharton, the youngest MP, topped the annual The government had already legislated to guarantee a referendum when the next major change in EU rules is proposed