Blair drops referendum on EU constitution
The UK will not hold a referendum on the European Union constitution, the prime minister has confirmed.
Instead Tony Blair will finalise a less ambitious treaty among EU leaders, as one of his last acts before he leaves Downing Street.
The scaled down rules governing EU operations will not require a public vote, the prime minister insisted, in an interview with the Financial Times and seven European newspapers.
“It’s not a constitutional treaty, so that it alters the basic relationship between Europe and the member states, then there isn’t the same case for a referendum,” Mr Blair said.
Britain and the Netherlands are both pushing for a less ambitious treaty, after the Netherlands, along with France, rejected the original constitution in 2005.
Mr Blair insists it is not just the UK and the Netherlands that “really will have a difficulty with a constitutional treaty.”
Adopting some form of treaty is necessary to move Europe forward, Mr Blair insisted, although he acknowledged the government will be “attacked whatever we do.”
The German government, which currently holds the EU presidency, is set to present EU leaders with a draft constitutional treaty in June, and wants to retain many aspects of the original constitution.
Mr Blair is keen to finalise a “basic outline agreement for a treaty” at the summit on June 21st and June 22nd, likely to be his last act in Europe as prime minister. “Sort it out, then move on,” he said.
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague has insisted that any transfers of power from Britain to the EU are subject to a referendum.
“What he is saying now sounds suspiciously like an attempt to introduce elements of it by the back door, despite its decisive rejection by the voters of France and Holland,” Mr Hague argued.
He continued: “This would go against the government’s previous assurances and be totally unacceptable to the people of Britain.
“It is vital that any new treaty that transfers power from Britain to the EU should be subject to a referendum.”
