Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands Conservative MSP, today backed the UK government’s plans to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union. Jamie was speaking in a debate on the subject this afternoon in the Scottish Parliament.Speaking today Jamie said:“ David Cameron made it quite clear in our 2015 manifesto that a future Conservative Government would bring forward a Bill which would enable a referendum on Britain's future membership of the EU. We now comfortably have that mandate from the British people. Our commitment to allowing citizens of the UK a say in an in-out referendum on the EU is never stronger.“ And let us not forget that it was the SNP who wanted Britain out of the then European Community in the 1970s, with many members campaigning against EU membership right through the '80s and '90s. This was at the same time the Conservative Government helped to create the Single Market under Mrs Thatcher and later the Major Government successfully achieved the principal of subsidiarity, opting out of the excesses of the Maastricht Treaty. The Cabinet Secretary may remember that the EU concessions such as not joining the disastrous Single Currency or the Social Chapter were achieved by John Major’s Conservative Government.“Questioning our relationship with Europe is not unnatural as all relationships need questioning from time to time. Our Prime Minister will set out a programme of negotiations with our European partners to create not just a better deal for Scotland and other parts of the UK, but also for the EU in general. We intend to make Europe work better: so why doesn't the Scottish Government get behind us, provide support and help us deliver a better deal for Scotland.”