IWR in the news

12/12/07

Gordon Brown will sign EU treaty in private

The Telegraph

By Duncan Hooper, Tom Chivers

Gordon Brown has announced that he will travel to to sign the controversial European Union Reform Treaty.

Doubt had been thrown on Mr Brown's attendance at the signing ceremony in on Thursday because of his commitment to give evidence to a high-ranking House of Commons committee that morning.

Reports of his possible absence sparked criticism that the Prime Minister was trying to disassociate himself from the EU plan.

On a policy level it would also have meant he missed negotiations between heads of state taking place on the sidelines of the ceremony.

But said this morning that arrangements have been made for Mr Brown to leave immediately after the hearing of the Commons Liaison Committee.

He will miss the official signing ceremony in the morning, but will join fellow EU heads of government at lunch and will sign the treaty then, his spokesman said.

The low-profile signing has attracted criticism from anti-constitution campaigners.

Neil O'Brien, of the I Want A Referendum campaign, said: "This is a ludicrous attempt to avoid being seen signing up to the treaty. The idea that this is just an accidental diary clash is just not credible. It's not clever politics by Brown either, because it will allow his opponents to accuse him of cowardice again.

"Downing Street seems to wish the treaty would just go away. They hope that if no-one sees Brown signing up to it they won't notice it is happening. They are just burying their heads in the sand.

"The treaty gives the EU new powers over everything from our public services to crime and immigration. Unless the Government is prepared to take it head-on and give people their say in a referendum, then it will only reinforce the perception that is grabbing more and more powers in an undemocratic way."

The Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has announced that the Lisbon Treaty does not involve any loss of Danish sovereignty and therefore his Government would not be calling a referendum on the issue.

"When sovereignty is relinquished, a referendum is needed; when no sovereignty is relinquished, Parliament will ratify the text," he said.

So far only has said it will hold a referendum on the treaty. Its constitution demands that all EU treaties are put to a national vote.