Sir: Patrick Cosgrave may believe that membership of the EEC
is of 'transcendent importance' but his difficulty is that the mass of the electorate, on whose behalf he purports to speak, quite obviously does not.
If it did, then the issue would transcend traditional party allegiances and membership of the House of Commons would be determined by reference to it just as that of the legislature of Northern Ireland is, or was, determined by reference to an issue undoubtedly felt to be of 'transcendent importance.
As the electqrate shows no sign of making its allegedly intense feelings known in this way, Mr Cosgrave has to fall back on the device of a referendum and the convolutions of an attempted reconciliation of such an innovation with the principle of the sovereignty of parliament.. R. S. Montgomerie
20 Wilton Place, Harrow
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