Government split after eurosceptic rebellion

CONSERVATIVE prime minister David Cameron has insisted there was “no bad blood” after 79 of his MPs defied his orders to vote in favour of a referendum on British membership of the European Union.

But divisions within the coalition government over Europe burst into the open yesterday, as ministers absorbed the impact of rebellion.

The government won the House of Commons vote late on Monday by 483 votes to 111 with support from the Liberal Democrats — the Tories’ euro-friendly junior coalition partners — and the Labour opposition.