Now is not the right time to have a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, the party leaders all say. It's a rare occasion when all three are on the same wavelength. In fact, they all agree so much that the media can't be bothered to cover that aspect of the story. Whilst politically it's quite unusual, it's boring and doesn't sell papers. So out it goes.
Those pushing for a referendum say that now is exactly the right time. The eurozone is falling apart before our very eyes, and there appears to be little hope on the horizon. Even France and Germany - the two countries meant to pull together and save us - are bickering. David Cameron isn't going to the haphazardly announced extra meeting next week as he's headed to Australia. He says he wants to ensure Britain isn't sidelined from the future of Europe, but his actions looks less and less convincing.
Realistically, now may well not be the best time for a referendum on our EU membership. It is completely true that, whilst the ship is sinking, it is not always advised to call a committee to discern whether you should stay or go. But then the flip side of that ship analogy is that, if you don't jump when you can, you risk going down. People should be given that choice at least.
William Hague - a strong Eurosceptic and well-respected Tory voice - has said this morning that now is not the time for a referendum, because it will cause a "distraction... and lead to economic uncertainty". His words have value and there is danger in ignoring his comments. But it's hard to feel that he's not, underneath it all, gritting his teeth and towing the party line.
Hague has rocketed back up the ranks of the Conservative Party to become one of their biggest hitters. For a former party leader this is quite unique, and when you listen to him questioned on the current state of the party, you can tell he is aware of it. He has long lamented the UK's membership of Europe, but he will be politically savvy enough to know that to cause a split now would be dangerous, not just for a Coalition Government struggling for support but for his standing as well. It is in his interest, the interest of the party, and perhaps the interest of Eurosceptics as well for him to tow the line.
This is the problem. There is never a good time for a referendum on this sort of major issue. Whilst things are bad, it will be too distracting and take attention away from the underlying issues. When things are good, people won't want to rock the boat. No one likes to cause a fuss when things are going well.
The danger of this is that no one ever gets a choice. It becomes the great non-vote, a catch-22 situation where everyone talks about the vote but no one actually votes. The UK's membership of an institution such as the EU is something that people should be given a say on. Many people who are now affected by the financial crisis and are feeling the ramifications of a collapsing eurozone had no say on whether they wanted to be a part of it or not. But the question is, will it ever happen?
It will be a brave politician who calls a referendum on the EU. It won't happen with this motion, and it is unlikely to happen under the Coalition. The danger is that, if no one steps up to the plate, it will never happen, and the British people will not be able to voice their opinions. That is more dangerous then anything else.