MERSEY MP Frank Field is leading a drive for Britain to stage a referendum on quitting the European Union – insisting it is time for people to have their say.

The Labour MP for Birkenhead has co-sponsored a motion that will be debated in the Commons next week creating an almighty headache for David Cameron.

Almost 50 Conservative MPs have also signed the motion – demanding a vote by May, 2013 – amid growing anger that the Prime Minister is poised to order them to vote against a nationwide poll.

Intriguingly, the motion does not propose a "straight in/out" vote but also includes a question on whether Britain should repatriate powers "to create a new relationship based on trade and co-operation".

This has greatly boosted the number of Tory, and, possibly Labour, MPs who are likely to back the motion – triggered, like the Hillsborough debate, by 100,000 people signing an e-petition.

Mr Field said: "We were promised a vote before the last election on the Lisbon Treaty but we never had that vote. There is a case for testing people's minds.

"The key thing about this debate is that it is proposing three questions; whether to stay in the EU, whether to pull out, or whether to renegotiate our position.

"Those are the three questions in people's minds and MPs should be attempting to give the public the chance to make that choice. It's not for us to decide." Mr Field argued a vote in favour of a referendum would "strengthen the Prime Minister's hand" when it came to attempts to rework Britain's relationship within the EU.

And he predicted a plebiscite would result in an "overwhelming majority" for renegotiate – his personal preference – saying: "Common law needs to be re-established over EU law."

The Birkenhead MP also suggested such talks would be successful adding: "The EU gets more from us then we get from them, looking at the balance of trade."

At present, Mr Field is among only three Labour MPs to have backed the motion. It is not clear whether they will be given a free vote, or “whipped” to vote no.

Answering questions yesterday, the Prime Minister did not rule out a referendum in the future, should there be a further treaty proposing power transfers from Westminster to Brussels.

But he said: "I believe the right answer is not to hold a referendum willy-nilly in this Parliament when we have so much to do to get Europe to sort its problems out."

There is speculation Mr Cameron will commit the next Conservative government to renegotiation – and a referendum on the results of that deal – to defuse the mounting row.