Brown rules out treaty referendum
Updated on 19 October 2007
Gordon Brown has ruled out a referendum Europe's reform treaty because his "red lines" were agreed.
The deal ended years of argument about the workings of the European Union and effectively rules out further institutional navel-gazing for decades to come.
Mr Brown has promised the "fullest parliamentary debate" on the treaty and said Europe can now address issues of concern to ordinary people including jobs, prosperity and a sustainable environment in which to live.
But Tory leader David Cameron called the refusal to hold a referendum a "denial of democracy" and vowed to continue pressing for a national vote.
He said: "We will fight for a referendum. Gordon Brown made a promise to hold a referendum on the EU Constitution. This treaty is almost exactly the same as the Constitution and they have broken their promise.
"We will fight for the referendum in the House of Commons and we will try to make sure he keeps his promise to the British people."
The summit deal extends majority voting to more than 50 extra areas of EU policy, reducing the right of one country to block deals and speeding up decision-making in the vastly-expanded EU.
But Mr Brown said he had resisted all efforts to apply the EU rules to UK policy on justice and home affairs, social security, foreign policy and defence.
In those areas, the "red lines" mean the UK can choose to opt in or opt out of joint EU deals.
Mr Brown said: "We have fought off any attempt to change the treaty in a way which would threaten the red lines.
"I believe we can make the case (in Parliament) that the British national interest has been fully defended.
"In the long run, for Britain and for Europe, we have agreed that there will be new priorities for the future, and we have ruled out further institutional change for years ahead.
"There is to be a declaration on these new priorities at our summit in December: Europe will move away from the inward-looking institutional discussions of the past."
He also congratulated the summit host, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, on the result, telling him: "You have done brilliantly, we are very proud of you. This is a great success."
The reform treaty provides for a "President of Europe" and a "Foreign Minister" in all but name.
Eurosceptics say that means nation states will be run by Brussels, but governments say the job of "President" will be in the control of national ministers, and not the European Commission.
Meanwhile, Mr Brown and the French president Nicolas Sarkozy both suggested Tony Blair could become the first president of Europe.
Mr Sarkozy had launched the debate by suggesting Mr Blair, who he described as "a remarkable man", or Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg. Mr Brown said his predecessor as Prime Minister would be an "obvious candidate".
British ratification of the reform treaty is expected to go through the Commons early next year, and Mr Brown hopes to clear all hurdles within three months.
Failure to ratify in the UK or anywhere else in the EU, only Ireland is holding a referendum, would be a disaster for the Union.
It would amount to a repeat of the crisis triggered when French and Dutch voters voted down the proposed constitution more than two years ago.
Government Chief Whip Geoff Hoon said he was "confident" of getting it through the Commons.
