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Miliband in Lisbon to sign treaty Treaty in UK's interest - Brown
(about 1 hour later)
Foreign Secretary David Miliband has arrived in Lisbon where he will sign the EU reform treaty for the UK. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has insisted the EU reform treaty "is in Britain's interest" as the Tories accuse him of being "gutless".
Mr Miliband's flight was delayed by two hours raising concerns he would miss the official signing ceremony, due shortly after 1200 GMT. 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.
The Tories earlier accused Gordon Brown of running scared because a diary clash will see him miss the ceremony. Foreign Secretary David Miliband is in Lisbon to sign the treaty.
Mr Brown is due to fly to Portugal and sign the treaty later, after he has been grilled by a group of senior MPs. The Conservatives have accused Mr Brown of running scared because a diary clash will see him miss the ceremony.
The treaty is designed to replace the abandoned EU constitution. Mr Brown is flying to Portugal and will sign the treaty after earlier giving evidence to the Commons liaison committee.
Labour had promised a referendum on the constitution but critics say the treaty is the same in substance. The Tories have accused him of being "gutless" and "indecisive" and said he had broken an election promise for a referendum.
The Tories said the prime minister was "gutless", "indecisive" and had broken election promises on a referendum. 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.
Gordon Brown has even managed to turn something as simple as signing the EU treaty into a national embarrassment William HagueShadow foreign secretary
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".
Britain 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 UK'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 liaison committee.
'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.
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", said Mr Brown.
"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," he added.
Mr Brown 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'
The government says the documents are different so no vote is needed.
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".
Gordon Brown has even managed to turn something as simple as signing the EU treaty into a national embarrassment William HagueShadow foreign secretary
"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 commissionerAt 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."
David Miliband, who is still expected to sign the treaty on the UK's behalf during the official signing ceremony, said: "We must deal with the reality, not the perception. The reality is the treaty is not the constitution." 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.
And 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."
EU president 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 new treaty is planned to replace the failed EU constitution, rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005.
It will greatly alter the way members govern themselves, BBC correspondents say. It creates an EU president and a vastly more powerful foreign policy chief for the union's 27 nations.
At the same time the document scraps veto powers in many policy areas.
Once it is signed, the treaty still has to be ratified by the UK and all other member countries before coming into force.
Both Mr Brown and his predecessor Tony Blair, have said the new treaty protects Britain's so-called red line issues on human and social rights, foreign policy and tax and benefits.
The prime minister's spokesman said Mr Brown's lack of presence for the ceremony was "not a particularly significant issue" as previous EU treaties had been signed by foreign secretaries on behalf of the UK.