Hague: Treaty referendum 'no longer possible'
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Independent Minds
The Tory leadership tonight conceded defeat over their plans to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said it was "no longer possible" to put the treaty to a popular vote after Czech President Vaclav Klaus removed the last obstacle to full ratification.
"Now that the treaty is going to become European law and is going to enter into force, that means a referendum can no longer prevent the creation of the president of the European Council, the loss of British national vetoes," he said.
"These things will already have happened and a referendum cannot unwind them or prevent them."
Mr Hague said party leader David Cameron - in a speech to be delivered at 4pm tomorrow - would set out "in detail how we will now go forward in European matters".
He denied that the party had broken any promises by dropping the referendum pledge.
"A British referendum until this very day would have meant that the Lisbon Treaty wouldn't enter into force if people voted no. The position of president of the European Council, the foreign minister of Europe, would never have been implemented," he said.
"We were very clear that our promise applied to those circumstances. After today, those things will come into force and a referendum can't change them, it can't unwind them, it can't prevent those things being created.
"That is why we are now in new circumstances and David Cameron will set out very clearly tomorrow how we now intend to proceed."
Earlier, the deeply Eurosceptic Mr Klaus announced he had signed the treaty after the Czech Constitutional Court finally rejected an attempt to block its implementation.
The move threatens to throw the Tories into a renewed round of turmoil over Europe after years of relative peace.
The Conservative leadership has been signalling for some weeks that it would not be able to go ahead with a referendum if the treaty was ratified by the time a Tory government came to power.
However for Tory Eurosceptics it has become an article of faith after Mr Cameron gave a "cast iron guarantee" two years ago that he would give the British people a chance to vote on the treaty.
He is now expected to announce a general election manifesto commitment to "repatriate" powers from Brussels, including control of social and employment policies - a long-standing Tory aim.
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Comments
It has been suggested that he could include these items in his election manifesto and that would act as a referendum, but I think he would be wise to hold a separate referendum, thereby making the people empowered and unlike Labour and the Lib Dems who both lied, keeping his promise in a meaninful way.
I want England out of the UK, let alone the EU. With friends like our "fellow Brits" the English don't need enemies.
as they say . if your afraid ,you got something to hide.
perhaps a kind of french revolution is on the make.
is it not true that people make a country ? is it not true that the
queen is without power? the english parliament is hereditary and
people of a country are more important then peers? everything has to come to an
end. modernizing means that ,and nothing else. how can you be a peer
without realizing that you play a royal game, ignoring your queen.
it is the the peoples way or none at all. ciao
Of course it's not a pointless exercise. Politics is very much about symbolism and a referendum on Lisbon would be a very decisive (if symbolic) NO. This would give tremendous clout to Cameron's negotiations.
He promised a referendum, if we don't get it then he's no better than Brown.
Who gives a @!*! about European law, give us our democratic right to vote on this you bastards!!!
TREASONOUS QUISLINGS!!!
A vote for the LIB LAB CON is a vote for slavery. All you EU lovers should move to Brussels if you love it so much or how about communist China, coz thats the way its going.
But if the Brits aren't happy being members of the EU, then they should get out. Really simple. No one is forcing Britain to stay and be fully European, absolutely no one.
In the modern world, nations must learn to work together. Many problems we face are international in nature and beyond the means and competence of national governments to deal with, let alone solve.
To me, sovereignty means having the power to solve problems. To be effective Britain must belong to multi-national organisations. This not only means the EU, but the UN, NATO and many other similar bodies. By combining with other nations, together we are stronger.
I'm glad the Lisbon Treaty is finally ratified and we can move on to next business. The Eurosceptics can whinge on all they like about a referendum. Most people aren't listening. We want to know what is being done to rebuild our busted economy. Now that really does concern us.
Yep i agree 100%, i am bloody sick of listening to people in this country bang on about this being the end of Britain and how we don't need Europe.
First of all if this is such a disaster for sovereign governments why have the leaders of 27 nations just approved the treaty? Are you suggesting that turkeys really do vote for Christmas? And as for the argument that we would be better off outside of the EU, well have you clowns taken a look at a map lately? The UK is NOT some massive world power, we are a mid ranked economy, in a world where new power blocks are being created and born. Exactly what role do you people think that this little country all on its own could play in the 21 century?
And do not think that our "special relationship" with the US makes us "special" it is strictly a one-way arrangement; the only way we can hope to have any meaningful role in the 21 century is too fully and enthusiastically embrace the EU.
Don't be so facetious. Maybe you would be so kind as to persuade one of our treacherous prime ministers to give us the chance first! The rest we'll do for uorselves.
I did not want a referendum, the British people know nothing about this treaty other than the press and even the BBC which always have a negitive slant on things.
The Torys can moan and groan all they want, but the fact is that the EU can now say, if you dont like it then leave. The EU does not need the UK, the Eurozone is the second largest economy in the world and the fact is that the price of leaving the EU would be a disaster for this country. All the major parties accept this.
If little Dave wants to cry he should have a referendum on EU membership. We'll see how that works out for him...
It is now illegal to argue with any EU foreign policy. No member state can openly say they do not like a policy. How much rule of law do you want to be taken away from you, and put in the hands of an un-elected foreign minister that an un-elected president has to chosen.
If they had just made the system a real democracy it would not stick in so many guts. But they know that democracy over huge areas and peoples does not work.
I heard Cameron say last week that the policy would be to continue to ask for a referendum as long as the treaty had NOT been signed. If the treaty was signed then his party would have to consider the situation. At no time did I hear him say that there would be a referendum if the treaty was signed. The media detest the Tories and they are now trying to stir it up. David hold firm to your line and come up with the changes that you would want to negoiate WHEN you become the ELECTED PRIME MINISTER.
Cameron, up until Ireland's 'yes' vote, never put pre-conditions and exclusions on his PROMISE to hold a referendum. At the very least, he knowingly allowed people to believe he would hold a referendum come what may.
The media detest the Tories?? I think you will find that the overwhelming majority of newspapers and Sky support the Tories. The BBC can hardly be said to 'detest the Tories'!! Perhaps the newspapers are pointing out that there may have been some hypocrisy, U-turns and empty boasting.
Hopefully now that David the Boy King has reneged on his very clear promise to hold a referendum, we will hear no more caterwauling about Labour not holding a referendum.
LABOUR HAD THE AUTHORITY TO CALL A REFERENDUM BUTTHEY SHIRKED THEIR RESPONSIBILTY
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Withdr
1 A referendum on EU membership. This would also kill off the SNP as most people in Scotland want out too.
2 A referendum on an English Parliament.
Once having won the election the Tories could then break their promises in true blue fashion.