// As I remember the issue of whether to have a in/out referendum or not comes up at regular intervals, and has done for many
years. //
Not with any degree of seriousness mikey. Backbenchers would mention it every now and then, and everyone would just ignore them.
Now there's somewhere else you can direct your vote, suddenly there's talk of commitments to a referendum with x years, getting tough on immigration, British jobs for British workers (Gordon Brown that one), etc etc.