Bob has pledged his support to the EU Referendum Bill to be introduced by fellow Conservative MP, James Wharton.
Bob said:
"I spoke to James within minutes of his winning the PMB ballot and offered him my full support".
“I also secured confirmation from Foreign Secretary William Hague that there will be a 3 line whip on Conservative MPs to support the Bill.
“Our relationship with the EU needs to change. We have moved too far beyond the free trade area that we originally signed up to and the burden of Brussels regulation on business is too great. The hostility of many in the EU to our financial services industry and the City of London is unacceptable.
“The Prime Minister is right to seek to renegotiate the basis of our membership and then give the British people a clear in/out vote on the outcome. Supporting this Bill will deliver that.
“I want those negotiations to succeed but, if we cannot get meaningful change, I would vote to leave rather than stay in on the current basis.”
A copy of the Draft EU Referendum Bill can be found below