The recent debate in the House of Commons on a referendum over Britain's involvement with Europe poses an unanswered question: just who governs Britain?

The debate was triggered by one of the Coalitions's bright ideas, an online petition. As all the political parties issued a three-line whip, requiring MPs to vote as they were told and not according either to conscience or the wishes of their constituents, this question is very pertinent. Charles I was the sovereign who lost the divine right to rule and Britain will not countenance a prime minister who attempts to usurp the power of the electorate.

Our Government is supposed to be representative, that is, our MPs represent the wishes of the constituents who voted for him or her. I suspect that the government does not want a referendum because, whether the result was binding on them or not, they would be in a dilemma as it is very probable that the vote to either amend our involvement significantly or leave the EU altogether would be overwhelmingly in favour of one or the other.

To say that the time is not right is a red herring, as, politically, the time will never be right.

Nationalists in 19th-century Ireland believed that 'England's extremity is Ireland's opportunity' and the same theory could hold good for Britain and Europe. To say that the Government will repatriate powers lost to the EU is a dangerous promise as David Cameron may well be held to it. Which powers is he referring to and exactly when will they be reclaimed?

The sovereignty of a nation lies in the right of its citizens to vote for their own representatives to make their own laws in their own parliament and to mint their own currency. There will be many across Europe who wish that they had retained the latter right.

– Dr Daphne Pearson, Tinman's Green, Redbrook.