MPs give go-ahead for EU Constitution referendum
The House of Commons have voted in favour for a bill that paves the way for a national referendum on the EU Constitution.
Following heated exchanges across the benches, the bill was passed by 345 votes to 130, and will now go to the committee stage.
The Conservatives tried to block the bill, arguing that provisions for the referendum and to adopt the treaty into UK law should have been two separate bills.
The referendum is likely to be held in early 2006 – assuming that Labour win the next general election.
Voters will be asked at the referendum: “Should the United Kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union?”
The constitution was signed last October but has to be ratified by all EU states, either through referendums or parliamentary votes, for it to come into force.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said if Britons rejected the treaty the country would enter into “unknown territory” and be left “weak and isolated” in Europe.
Opting out of the agreement would imperil Britain’s “power and prosperity”, he said, leaving it a “semi-detached” player.
“We’d be left without influence, out on the margins with no say in Europe’s future direction,” Mr Straw warned.
He pledged Britain would retain vetoes on tax, social security, foreign policy, defence and the controversial budget rebate.
But, Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Ancram said the Government was hoodwinking voters on the merits of the treaty.
He accused the Blair administration of “fleecing” taxpayers for “this shameless, one-sided propaganda exercise”.
Sir Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, claimed the Government was wasting the chance to make a more compelling case for Europe and Britain’s role within it.
