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/7141279.stm
The article has changed 13 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Treaty in UK's interest - Brown | Treaty in UK's interest - Brown |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has insisted the EU reform treaty "is in Britain's interest" as the Tories accuse him of being "gutless". | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has insisted the EU reform treaty "is in Britain's interest" as the Tories accuse him of being "gutless". |
| Mr Brown has ruled out a referendum on the treaty - which replaces the failed EU constitution - but he told MPs they will have plenty of time to debate it. | Mr Brown has ruled out a referendum on the treaty - which replaces the failed EU constitution - but he told MPs they will have plenty of time to debate it. |
| He signed the document in Lisbon, a few hours after other European leaders. | He signed the document in Lisbon, a few hours after other European leaders. |
| The Tories criticised Mr Brown for missing the official ceremony because of a diary clash. | The Tories criticised Mr Brown for missing the official ceremony because of a diary clash. |
| They also accused him of being "gutless" and "indecisive" and said he had broken an election promise for a referendum. | They also accused him of being "gutless" and "indecisive" and said he had broken an election promise for a referendum. |
| The prime minister had been giving evidence to the Commons liaison committee on a range of issues when other EU leaders signed the treaty. | The prime minister had been giving evidence to the Commons liaison committee on a range of issues when other EU leaders signed the treaty. |
| Foreign Secretary David Miliband took his place at the ceremony, with Mr Brown then flying to the Portuguese capital a few hours later. | Foreign Secretary David Miliband took his place at the ceremony, with Mr Brown then flying to the Portuguese capital a few hours later. |
| Majority voting | Majority voting |
| Mr Brown has said there is no need for a referendum as the treaty is different from the constitution rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005. | Mr Brown has said there is no need for a referendum as the treaty is different from the constitution rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005. |
| Gordon Brown has even managed to turn something as simple as signing the EU treaty into a national embarrassment William HagueShadow foreign secretary class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7141651.stm">EU leaders sign treaty | |
| But he told the liaison committee there would be "more scope for Parliament to debate some of these issues than there has been in the past". | But he told the liaison committee there would be "more scope for Parliament to debate some of these issues than there has been in the past". |
| The UK will give up its veto in many policy areas as the EU introduces more qualified majority voting, but Mr Brown said the changes were in the country's interests. | The UK will give up its veto in many policy areas as the EU introduces more qualified majority voting, but Mr Brown said the changes were in the country's interests. |
| "Some of them are minor and procedural and the other ones are in Britain's interest and if they are not we have usually got an opt-in or an opt-out to decide whether we wish to be part of it," Mr Brown told the committee. | "Some of them are minor and procedural and the other ones are in Britain's interest and if they are not we have usually got an opt-in or an opt-out to decide whether we wish to be part of it," Mr Brown told the committee. |
| 'Ingenious MPs' | 'Ingenious MPs' |
| He said MPs would have the final say over whether Britain opts out of justice and home affairs legislation, when it is taken over by the EU. | He said MPs would have the final say over whether Britain opts out of justice and home affairs legislation, when it is taken over by the EU. |
| But MPs would not be able to vote on which parts of the treaty Britain wanted to opt-in to as decisions on that had to be made within a "three month window", he added. | But MPs would not be able to vote on which parts of the treaty Britain wanted to opt-in to as decisions on that had to be made within a "three month window", he added. |
| "It will have to be a matter for the government to make that decision on the basis of what we know to be the best interest of the country but the general debate we will have in the House of Commons," Mr Brown said. | "It will have to be a matter for the government to make that decision on the basis of what we know to be the best interest of the country but the general debate we will have in the House of Commons," Mr Brown said. |
| He said he was sure some "ingenuous" MPs would find ways to introduce amendments to the bill ratifying it, but he declined to go into detail about the wording of the bill, saying it would be published "very soon". | He said he was sure some "ingenuous" MPs would find ways to introduce amendments to the bill ratifying it, but he declined to go into detail about the wording of the bill, saying it would be published "very soon". |
| 'Dithering' | 'Dithering' |
| Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said Mr Brown's signature on the "renamed EU constitution will not have the British people's democratic support". | Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said Mr Brown's signature on the "renamed EU constitution will not have the British people's democratic support". |
| "British voters were promised a referendum on the EU constitution and just about everyone agrees that this treaty is in substance the same. | "British voters were promised a referendum on the EU constitution and just about everyone agrees that this treaty is in substance the same. |
| "Gordon Brown has even managed to turn something as simple as signing the EU treaty into a national embarrassment." | "Gordon Brown has even managed to turn something as simple as signing the EU treaty into a national embarrassment." |
| He said Mr Brown had "dithered" over the signing ceremony, and accused him of "indecision, gutlessness and broken election promises". | He said Mr Brown had "dithered" over the signing ceremony, and accused him of "indecision, gutlessness and broken election promises". |
| 'Still a constitution' | 'Still a constitution' |
| Mr Hague's attack was followed by a warning from Labour MPs on the Commons foreign affairs committee that ministers were failing to convince the public there was no need for a referendum. | Mr Hague's attack was followed by a warning from Labour MPs on the Commons foreign affairs committee that ministers were failing to convince the public there was no need for a referendum. |
| Labour's Fabian Hamilton said: "The problem we have is that much of this Lisbon treaty is very, very different to the constitution on which we guaranteed a referendum. | Labour's Fabian Hamilton said: "The problem we have is that much of this Lisbon treaty is very, very different to the constitution on which we guaranteed a referendum. |
| "But that is not the public perception." | "But that is not the public perception." |
| At the moment we are punching below our weight Peter MandelsonEU trade commissioner | At the moment we are punching below our weight Peter MandelsonEU trade commissioner |
| Lib Dem MP Richard Younger-Ross said: "This is still a constitution, even though it is by a different name and a different structure." | Lib Dem MP Richard Younger-Ross said: "This is still a constitution, even though it is by a different name and a different structure." |
| And the leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, said that for the government "to pretend that this is any different to the failed constitution and deny the British people a referendum is monstrous". | And the leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, said that for the government "to pretend that this is any different to the failed constitution and deny the British people a referendum is monstrous". |
| EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said it would allow the EU to play a bigger role on the world stage: "There are continental-sized powers we either want to engage with or square up to, whether it be China, India or the US - and at the moment we are punching below our weight. | EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said it would allow the EU to play a bigger role on the world stage: "There are continental-sized powers we either want to engage with or square up to, whether it be China, India or the US - and at the moment we are punching below our weight. |
| "We are not taken as seriously as we could be and will be as a result of this reform treaty." | "We are not taken as seriously as we could be and will be as a result of this reform treaty." |
| The treaty will greatly alter the way members govern themselves. It creates an EU president and a vastly more powerful foreign policy chief for the union's 27 nations. | The treaty will greatly alter the way members govern themselves. It creates an EU president and a vastly more powerful foreign policy chief for the union's 27 nations. |