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'120 Labour MPs back referendum' 120 Labour MPs 'may back EU vote'
(about 1 hour later)
Up to a third of Labour MPs may support calls for an EU Treaty referendum, says a Labour MP spearheading the campaign.Up to a third of Labour MPs may support calls for an EU Treaty referendum, says a Labour MP spearheading the campaign.
Ian Davidson says up to 120 MPs could support his call for a referendum on, or amendments to, the new treaty. Ian Davidson told the BBC he believed he could persuade up to 120 MPs to support a referendum on the new treaty.
He said the figure was based on verbal support, but it was hard to get firm figures while Parliament was in recess. He said it was "virtually identical" to the failed EU constitution - on which a referendum had been promised.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the BBC that the constitution had been "abandoned" and MPs would see the new treaty was in Britain's best interests. But Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that the constitution had been "abandoned" and MPs would see the new treaty was in Britain's best interests.
The Conservatives have been calling for a referendum on the treaty, which they say is practically the same as the failed EU Constitution - on which Labour had promised a referendum in 2004. The Conservatives have been calling for a referendum on the treaty, which they also say is practically the same as the failed EU Constitution - on which Labour had promised a referendum in 2004.
Labour 'disquiet'Labour 'disquiet'
UKIP and the GMB and RMT unions have joined the calls and some Labour MPs also back a referendum on the treaty. UKIP and the GMB and RMT unions have joined calls for a referendum.
Eurosceptic Glasgow South West MP Mr Davidson said disquiet in the party was similar to that in 2004 - when former prime minister Tony Blair bowed to calls for a referendum. Eurosceptic Glasgow South West MP Mr Davidson said disquiet in the Labour party was similar to that in 2004 - when former prime minister Tony Blair bowed to calls for a referendum.
Support for a referendum is similar to last time round when well over 120 Labour MPs publicly or privately backed a referendum Ian Davidson The treaty and the constitution are essentially the same thing Ian Davidson
Mr Davidson added that he hoped to build momentum through debate at the TUC and Labour Party conferences in September. He told the BBC he was confident he could persuade up to 120 MPs, who had backed a referendum in 2004, that it was still needed.
He added he had not received a reply to a letter asking for amendments which he sent to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He said the strength of feeling then had persuaded the government to concede to a referendum and he believed the policy was currently in "transition".
"On the basis of the soundings and conversations I have had with colleagues, the support for a referendum is similar to last time round when well over 120 Labour MPs publicly or privately backed a referendum," Mr Davidson told the Daily Telegraph. "You have got to remember that last time the government were completely against the referendum, until they were in favour of it - and once they were in favour of it, it was almost impossible to find anyone who was against it," he said.
Last week the GMB and RMT unions joined calls for a referendum by tabling motions for the TUC annual conference. "The vast majority of Labour MPs have assumed that the treaty and the constitution are different.
"But once we explain to them that they are actually, in fact, virtually identical, they come back to the traditional view that they had before - and that was that our manifesto commitment has got to be honoured, that we have got to have a referendum on this constitution."
Constitution 'abandoned'Constitution 'abandoned'
But the government says a referendum is not necessary, as all mention of a new constitution has been dropped. He said: "The treaty and the constitution are essentially the same thing."
The foreign secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that 27 European heads of state had signed a document in June saying the constitutional concept "has been abandoned". Mr Davidson added that he believed the caveats and exemptions the government had said it had secured would not stand up against an "attack from the European Court of Justice".
"It's been abandoned because the former treaties which were going to be brought together within a new constitution is not happening," he said. As Parliament gets to grips with the reform treaty that comes out come December, as they look line by line, they will see first that it's good for Britain David Miliband
But the foreign secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that 27 European heads of state had signed a document in June saying the constitutional concept "has been abandoned".
"It's been abandoned because the former treaties which were going to be brought together within a new constitution is not happening," Mr Miliband said.
"As Parliament gets to grips with the reform treaty that comes out come December, as they look line by line, they will see first that it's good for Britain.""As Parliament gets to grips with the reform treaty that comes out come December, as they look line by line, they will see first that it's good for Britain."
He added: "It's very different from the constitution in absolute essence and ... the 'red lines' - the key national interest in foreign policy and other areas of the United Kingdom - have been protected."He added: "It's very different from the constitution in absolute essence and ... the 'red lines' - the key national interest in foreign policy and other areas of the United Kingdom - have been protected."