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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Brown to miss EU treaty ceremony | Brown to miss EU treaty ceremony |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown will miss the official signing of the EU treaty, but will travel to Lisbon and sign it later, Downing Street has said. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown will miss the official signing of the EU treaty, but will travel to Lisbon and sign it later, Downing Street has said. |
| No 10 says the PM will not be able to attend the ceremony because he is to be grilled by a committee of senior MPs. | |
| But arrangements have been made for Mr Brown to leave London straight after the Commons Liaison Committee hearing. | But arrangements have been made for Mr Brown to leave London straight after the Commons Liaison Committee hearing. |
| He will miss the official signing event but will join EU heads of government at lunch and will sign the treaty later. | He will miss the official signing event but will join EU heads of government at lunch and will sign the treaty later. |
| The EU Reform treaty has proved politically controversial, with the Tories arguing that it is substantially the same as the abandoned EU Constitution, on which a referendum was promised by Labour. | The EU Reform treaty has proved politically controversial, with the Tories arguing that it is substantially the same as the abandoned EU Constitution, on which a referendum was promised by Labour. |
| Ratification needed | Ratification needed |
| But the government says the two documents are different, making a public vote on the treaty unnecessary. | But the government says the two documents are different, making a public vote on the treaty unnecessary. |
| Mr Brown has been invited to Lisbon by the Portuguese government - which holds the EU presidency - along with the leaders of the other 26 EU member states. | Mr Brown has been invited to Lisbon by the Portuguese government - which holds the EU presidency - along with the leaders of the other 26 EU member states. |
| The EU Constitution was thrown out in 2005 after it was rejected by Dutch and French voters. | The EU Constitution was thrown out in 2005 after it was rejected by Dutch and French voters. |
| The treaty, once it is signed, still has to be ratified by the UK and all other member countries before coming into force. | The treaty, once it is signed, still has to be ratified by the UK and all other member countries before coming into force. |
| Foreign Secretary David Miliband is expected to sign the treaty on the UK's behalf during the official signing ceremony on Thursday. | Foreign Secretary David Miliband is expected to sign the treaty on the UK's behalf during the official signing ceremony on Thursday. |