Cameron attacks Brown on EU vote

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The failure by Gordon Brown to hold a referendum on the EU Treaty is "one of the most flagrant breaches of trust" in British politics, David Cameron says.

If the Conservatives win the widely anticipated snap general election "we will hold a referendum on it and put it to the people", the Tory leader said.

Mr Cameron, in Blackpool for his party's annual conference, says the lack of a vote was "just so wrong".

The prime minister has repeatedly rejected calls for a referendum.

Mr Brown says that the UK's successful defence of its "red lines" means the EU Treaty is not the same as the constitution rejected by voters in France and Holland, on which a vote was promised in Labour's 2005 manifesto.

Fight on

But Mr Cameron says the EU treaty is substantially the same as the abandoned constitution and believes that commitment to a referendum should be honoured.

We promise a referendum and that promise is good, whenever Gordon Brown holds this election David Cameron

"We will fight it through the House of Commons. We will put down amendments saying there should be a referendum," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We think this is just so wrong. We put into our manifesto at the last election that we'd hold a referendum.

"The government put into their manifesto they would have a referendum.

"They have broken trust with the British people. It is one of the most flagrant breaches of trust I can remember in British politics.

"We promise a referendum and that promise is good, whenever Gordon Brown holds this election."

Last month, the TUC voted in favour of calling for a referendum to be held on the EU treaty.

The UK Independence Party also wants a referendum. The Lib Dems want a referendum on the wider question of UK membership of the EU.