Two Leicestershire MPs were among the Tory rebels who defied the Government over a referendum on European Union membership
North West Leicestershire's Andrew Bridgen and Bosworth's David Tredinnick supported an amendment to the recent Queen's Speech expressing regret that it did not include legislation that would see people given the chance to vote on whether the UK should withdraw from the EU.
In the vote, on Wednesday night, a total 116 Conservatives, including Mr Bridgen and Mr Tredinnick, 11 Labour MPs, and six from other parties supported the amendment but 277 opposed it.
The Tories' Coalition partners the Liberal Democrats opposed it.
Prime Minister David Cameron has promised there will be an In/Out referendum on the EU in 2017 after the next General Election but some back-benchers want the assurance of it in a parliamentary bill.
Mr Tredinnick told the Mercury: "I trust the Prime Minister to do what he said he would do.
"That is enough for me but it is not enough for the general public who have had broken promise after broken promise on this, from Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. They will say "We have heard this all before" and they have.
"We need this on the stature book."
He said he would have raised the issue again with a private members' ballot for a bill if his name came up on the list.
Eurosceptic Stockton South MP James Wharton, however, took that step yesterday.
Mr Tredinnick's colleague Harborough MP Sir Edward Garnier did not support the amendment and described it "a distraction" which would confuse the public.
He said he was less worried about EU membership than the economic crisis in the Euro Zone.
He said: "I am more worried about this than Conservative MPs taking chunks out of each other."
He added: "We don't have a majority in the House of Commons. I have spent my political life fighting the Liberal Democrats. They are not always helpful allies. They are allies of convenience."
Former Europe Minister and Leicester East MP Keith Vaz said the a vote on EU membership should be given to people.
He was not among the Labour MPs supporting the amendment.
He said: "The contract between the British people and the EU has lapsed and needs renewing.
"This is clearly an important issue for the public.
"The choice should be given to people now and not in 2017, to end the debate, and free up Parliament to deal with other important issues.
"The indecisiveness of the Government weakens our position in Europe.
"If we want reform we need to be at the top table, and not on the outside looking in.
"That is why the people must decide now."
