Welsh leaders say no to June EU vote

The four Welsh party leaders in the Assembly have jointly written to the Prime Minister urging him not to hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU in June.

The Conservative UK Government is committed to hold a vote by the end of 2017 although there's speculation that David Cameron intends to hold a vote this summer after renegotiating the terms of the UK's membership.

But the leaders in Wales of Labour, Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats are warning of confusion that could be caused if the vote comes in June and call for it to be held at a later date.

It means that not just the four Welsh party leaders are united in their opposition to an early referendum, but also the First Ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

That June date would be just a month after the Welsh election which could see the campaigns overlapping.

There are also elections in Scotland and Northern Ireland, a Mayoral election in London and Police and Crime Commissioner elections across Wales and England.

Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has previously made the same arguments against a June vote.

The letter has been signed by First Minister and Labour leader, Carwyn Jones; The Welsh Conservative Opposition leader, Andrew RT Davies; Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood and the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams.

The text is below:

Plaid sources say that Leanne Wood initiated the idea of sending a letter. She said a June referendum would show 'utter disregard for people in Wales.'

It had been claimed that Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, had come under pressure from his party at Westminster not to sign the letter.

But a Welsh Tory source dismissed that claim as 'complete nonsense' and said the Opposition leader was happy to put his name to the call.