THE government last night refused to bow to demands to stage a referendum on the European Union reform treaty after winning the first round in the battle to have it ratified.
David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, faced a storm of opposition from Conservative MPs and back-bench Labour rebels over the Lisbon document.
After a fiery five-hour Commons debate, MPs last night backed a second reading of the European Union (A
mendment) Bill, which ratifies the reform treaty, by a majority of 138.
Although 18 Labour back-benchers and four Nationalist MPs had signed an amendment calling for a referendum on the document, it was not subject to a vote as the Commons speaker decided against calling it.
Supporters of a referendum say the treaty is virtually unchanged from the abandoned EU constitution.
Labour had promised a referendum on the constitution, but this was shelved after being rejected by French and Dutch voters three years ago.
The treaty creates an EU president and a vastly more powerful foreign-policy chief for the bloc's 27 nations. It enshrines the 2004 EU charter of fundamental rights, but Britain has obtained an "opt-out" on having any new rights imposed by the European Court of Human Rights.
Mr Miliband insisted a referendum was unnecessary as the treaty did not amount to "fundamental constitutional" change. He said the Lisbon treaty was "good for Britain and good for Europe".
To Tory jeers of derision, Mr Miliband insisted that the treaty marked the end of a process of institutional reform in the EU – which had "gone on too long and taken too much energy".
Labour MP Frank Field, a former minister, said: "Apart from those other governments who also don't want to face their electorates and test their views, what other bodies of equivalent standing has the government got on its side?"
William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, said of Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, who was on a visit to India and missed the debate: "Having signed the treaty… he wants to force this through parliament, but lacks the courage to vote for it himself."
Mr Hague accused the government of "brazenly abrogating" the commitment Labour had made to hold a referendum.
Andrew Robathan, a Tory, was forced by the Speaker to retract comments that the speech by Mr Miliband – who has a Jewish background – was "worthy of (the Nazi minister] Göbbels".
VOTE DEBATEWhy the government SHOULD hold a referendum:
• Labour promised to do so in its manifesto.
• The reform treaty is almost the same as the constitution.
• It retains the President of the Council of Ministers and an EU foreign minister in all but name.
• It changes the structure of the EU.
Why it should NOT:
• The concept of a constitution is dead.
• Britain and Europe's legal relationship has not changed much.
• Plans for a flag or anthem have gone.
• Britain's "red lines" on work and social matters are protected.
The full article contains 503 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
