This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7454988.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Tories call for vote on EU Treaty | Tories call for vote on EU Treaty |
| (1 day later) | |
| The Conservatives have called on the government to allow the British people to vote on the EU Treaty after it was rejected by Irish voters. | The Conservatives have called on the government to allow the British people to vote on the EU Treaty after it was rejected by Irish voters. |
| It comes after the government said it would press ahead with its ratification of the Lisbon Treaty despite the Irish voting "no" in a referendum. | It comes after the government said it would press ahead with its ratification of the Lisbon Treaty despite the Irish voting "no" in a referendum. |
| Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the poll had "blown a big hole" in the government's European strategy. | Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the poll had "blown a big hole" in the government's European strategy. |
| But Labour's Harriet Harman said the treaty protected Britain's interests. | But Labour's Harriet Harman said the treaty protected Britain's interests. |
| The British government says the Bill to ratify the treaty will continue its progression through Parliament - despite 53.4% of Irish voters rejecting it in the referendum vote. | The British government says the Bill to ratify the treaty will continue its progression through Parliament - despite 53.4% of Irish voters rejecting it in the referendum vote. |
| The House of Lords is due to hold the third reading of the Bill on 18 June. | The House of Lords is due to hold the third reading of the Bill on 18 June. |
| 'Protect Britain's interests' | 'Protect Britain's interests' |
| Ms Harman, the party's deputy leader, said: "We're not ignoring concerns, but... we have to make sure we protect Britain's interests... | |
| "....at a time when there's problems about food supply, problems about fuel costs, problems internationally in the financial market - that is not a time to turn our back on our European partners. | "....at a time when there's problems about food supply, problems about fuel costs, problems internationally in the financial market - that is not a time to turn our back on our European partners. |
| "That is a time to work even more closely together." | "That is a time to work even more closely together." |
| But William Hague said the "centralising project" should be abandoned. | But William Hague said the "centralising project" should be abandoned. |
| "The people of France, the people of Holland voted against a very similar document, the EU constitution," he said. | "The people of France, the people of Holland voted against a very similar document, the EU constitution," he said. |
| "Now the people of Ireland have voted against this. | "Now the people of Ireland have voted against this. |
| "It is time to turn away from this whole centralising project and concentrate on things that really matter, of global poverty, global warming, global competitiveness, that Europe should be dealing with. | "It is time to turn away from this whole centralising project and concentrate on things that really matter, of global poverty, global warming, global competitiveness, that Europe should be dealing with. |
| "The only point in going ahead and ratifying it would be to try to bully the Irish into voting a second time. | "The only point in going ahead and ratifying it would be to try to bully the Irish into voting a second time. |
| "I don't think the Irish should have to vote twice, when the people of Britain haven't been able to vote once." | "I don't think the Irish should have to vote twice, when the people of Britain haven't been able to vote once." |
| Ireland was the only member state to hold a public vote on the treaty, which must be ratified by all 27 countries. | Ireland was the only member state to hold a public vote on the treaty, which must be ratified by all 27 countries. |
| Europe minister Jim Murphy said it was now up to the Irish government to come up with proposals to salvage the treaty following its referendum defeat. | Europe minister Jim Murphy said it was now up to the Irish government to come up with proposals to salvage the treaty following its referendum defeat. |
| But he insisted the treaty was not yet dead. | But he insisted the treaty was not yet dead. |
| "Only those who previously wished to dance on the grave of this treaty, even before the Irish referendum, are declaring it dead," he told the BBC's Today programme. | "Only those who previously wished to dance on the grave of this treaty, even before the Irish referendum, are declaring it dead," he told the BBC's Today programme. |