ED Balls risked plunging Labour into civil war over Europe yesterday by declaring the party would be “stupid” to rule out an EU referendum.
The Shadow Chancellor insisted it was vital they did not let themselves “be caricatured as an anti-referendum party”.
His views contrast sharply with Ed Miliband’s admission last month that Labour didn’t want an in-out vote.
The party’s official position is a fudge that rules out offering a nationwide vote now — but not in the future.Former leadership rival Mr Balls declared: “If we allow ourselves either to be the ‘status quo party’ on Europe, or the ‘anti-referendum party’, then we’ve got a problem.
“We would be pretty stupid to allow ourselves to get into either of those positions.”
He added: “We’ve absolutely not ruled out a referendum.”
The outburst came after The Sun revealed deep unease among senior Labour figures over Mr Miliband’s stance.
Vote vow ... David Cameron
They blame his pro-European brother David for talking him out of matching David Cameron’s landmark pledge for a vote by 2017.
Policy review boss Jon Cruddas is leading the internal battle to offer a referendum in their 2015 manifesto.
But a source close to Mr Miliband insisted Mr Balls backed the party’s official line, adding: “It is ridiculous to suggest there is a difference between Ed Miliband and Ed Balls on Europe.” The PM attacked Labour over the muddle in the Commons yesterday.
After Mr Balls was reprimanded for “barking” at the Government, he said: “The Shadow Chancellor is indeed barking. We don’t mean as in Barking and Dagenham. We mean woof.”
Mr Cameron was cheered by MPs on all sides after updating them on the proposed cuts to the EU budget.
He challenged Mr Miliband to say whether his MEPs will vote with other socialists in the European Parliament to block the deal next month.
But after talks, Labour clarified they will back the historic spending reductions.
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