Patten: No means EU exit
Chris Patten has warned Britain would be forced to exit the European Union if the public voted no in a referendum on the European Constitution.
The EU external affairs commissioner said a rejection of the constitution would render the Blair administration’s stance on Europe untenable and lead to the UK cutting off political ties with Brussels.
The European bloc is set to expand on May 1 from 15 to 25 members.
Mr Patten said the referendum would signify the “final reckoning” on the issue.
“We’ve got to make our mind up whether we want to make a success of Europe or not,” Mr Patten said in an interview with The Observer.
“That’s why I think that, if we ever get to this referendum, it’s really going to be about whether we want to stay in. What’s the point of being inside and endlessly, truculently making trouble? Is that really pursuing the national interest?”
Mr Patten said British voters had to make their minds up on Europe – whether they wanted to be firmly in Europe or merely shout from the sidelines: “I just think that psychologically we can’t go on like this. It poisons political debate. It has demeaned large parts of our national media.
“We have to decide whether we want to choose for the first time in a millennium to play in the second division.”
The Conservative Party says it will renegotiate Britain’s role in Europe before signing up the EU constitution.
