Tony Blair rejects calls for live debate
Prime Minister Tony Blair has rejected calls for a live TV debate on the EU constitution.
When challenged on the subject by Tory leader Michael Howard during prime minister’s question time Mr Blair said the debate would be carried out in Parliament.
“When [the matter] is agreed in this House, we will have the debate in the country,” he said.
The prime minister added that all the action in Parliament was broadcast nationwide on television anyway.
Mr Blair in turn asked the Tory leader if he would reject the constitutional treaty himself.
Mr Howard replied “We’re against a constitution for the EU because countries have constitutions and nation states make treaties with each other.”
In a rowdy session MPs from both sides of the House heckled and jeered while the two party leaders verbally jousted.
Mr Howard scored a minor victory when the prime minister both used the word “referendum” – which he avoided when announcing his plans on the EU constitution – and tacitly admitting that he had reversed his policy.
Mr Blair had famously said in his speech to the Labour conference “I have no reverse gear”.
Mr Howard asked the prime minister when his Cabinet reversed its policy to hold a public vote on the EU constitution, but Mr Blair replied: “We announced our policy on the referendum yesterday.”
The Leader of the Opposition also asked what would happen if the public voted “no” to a treaty.
Mr Blair replied that he would sit down with the other member states and thrash out an acceptable way forward.
