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PM warns against retreat from EU | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to keep Britain at the heart of Europe, saying any retreat to the sidelines would jeopardise trade and jobs. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to keep Britain at the heart of Europe, saying any retreat to the sidelines would jeopardise trade and jobs. |
Ahead of a debate by MPs and peers next month over the Lisbon Treaty, he said remaining engaged in the EU was vital to the economy. | |
But the Tories said the treaty would be a "damaging blow to free markets". | |
They argue that there should be a referendum on the document, but the government says this is unnecessary. | |
The treaty is set to face a battle to get through the House of Commons and the House of Lords, with line-by-line debates stretching into March. | |
'Wake-up call' | 'Wake-up call' |
Mr Brown's remarks come after Tory leader David Cameron said his party would hold a referendum on the EU treaty if it won power before it was ratified by all EU states. | |
The government says a referendum is not needed as it has secured opt-outs and most changes are minor or procedural. | The government says a referendum is not needed as it has secured opt-outs and most changes are minor or procedural. |
We should not be putting into question our future membership of the European Union - that would risk trade, business and jobs Gordon Brown | We should not be putting into question our future membership of the European Union - that would risk trade, business and jobs Gordon Brown |
In a speech to business leaders in London, Mr Brown said the EU must work together to take any immediate necessary measures to protect against financial turbulence. | |
He said the latest financial turbulence had been "a wake-up call for every economy in every part of the world", impacting on states including Britain and mainland Europe. | |
But the UK was well placed to withstand global economic uncertainty, with its inflation levels at 2%, compared with 3% in the rest of the EU and 4% in America, he said. | |
'Fully engaged' | |
Mr Brown is set to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi later in January to discuss stability measures. | Mr Brown is set to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi later in January to discuss stability measures. |
"What is clear is that at times of global economic uncertainty, we should not be throwing into question the stability of our continuing relationship with Europe, and even putting into question our future membership of the European Union - that would risk trade, business and jobs," he said. | "What is clear is that at times of global economic uncertainty, we should not be throwing into question the stability of our continuing relationship with Europe, and even putting into question our future membership of the European Union - that would risk trade, business and jobs," he said. |
This would be a real and damaging blow to free markets in the EU. It's the exact opposite of what the EU should be doing William HagueShadow foreign secretary | |
"Indeed, I strongly believe that rather than retreating to the sidelines we must remain fully engaged in Europe - pushing forward the reforms that are essential for Europe's, and Britain's, economic future." | "Indeed, I strongly believe that rather than retreating to the sidelines we must remain fully engaged in Europe - pushing forward the reforms that are essential for Europe's, and Britain's, economic future." |
For the Conservatives, shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the treaty did nothing to cut "red tape" and would not make Europe more competitive. | |
"The treaty - for the first time - downgrades competitiveness from being one of the EU's main objectives to just an add-on," he said. | |
"This would be a real and damaging blow to free markets in the EU. It's the exact opposite of what the EU should be doing." | |
EU 'millstone' | |
And for the UK Independence Party, MEP Godfrey Bloom disputed claims that jobs would be threatened if Britain left the EU in favour of the European Free Trade Association. | |
"We have a trade surplus with America and yet we aren't in political union, and I'm sure I've seen people driving Japanese cars and yet we don't let them make our laws for us," he said. | |
Conservative leader David Cameron said on Sunday that even if Parliament ratified the Lisbon treaty, a Tory government would hold a referendum. | |
He says that the reform treaty is essentially the abandoned EU constitution - on which Labour promised to hold a referendum at the last election. | |
Mr Brown signed the treaty, as did other EU leaders in December. | |
But it has to be ratified by all EU countries before coming into force - something which is not expected to happen before 2009. |
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