we have had alex hammond say, don't worry, we will keep the queen.on't worry, we will keep sterling. we will still have the same television programs. in other words, to try to play down the enormity of the event. that may reassure voters. there is no getting away from it. he's got an awful lot of ground still to makeup and not a vast amount of time. >> thanks a lot. we will be coming back in a moment. talking of referendums, a conservative backbencher is doing what he can to bring us closer to the day when we can all have a vote on the european union or at least britain's membership of it. you might have thought something so important would be steered through by the government. in fact, the reality of coalition life means it has been left to this man introducing his own bill, bringing in a referendum by 2017. his bill cleared the comments at the end of november. >> it is right for the people to be given their say. it is right for a british government to seek a new settlement in europe. it is right for us to put that on the statute now. it is been out