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Treaty in UK's interest - Brown Brown belatedly signs EU treaty
(about 1 hour later)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has insisted the EU reform treaty "is in Britain's interest" as the Tories accuse him of being "gutless". UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has belatedly signed the EU reform treaty, having missed a ceremony attended by leaders of the 26 other member states.
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 delayed his trip to Lisbon so he could appear before a Commons select committee scrutinising his government.
He signed the document in Lisbon, a few hours after other European leaders. He promised the committee there would be a full debate in Parliament on the treaty but no referendum.
The Tories criticised Mr Brown for missing the official ceremony because of a diary clash. The Conservatives said Mr Brown's "diary clash" did not reflect well on him, making him appear "gutless".
They also accused him of being "gutless" and "indecisive" and said he had broken an election promise for a referendum. "If he believes this treaty is the right thing for the country then he ought to have the guts to go to the actual signing ceremony," Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague told BBC News 24.
The prime minister had been giving evidence to the Commons liaison committee on a range of issues when other EU leaders signed the treaty. "We had this chronic indecision in Downing Street about what the prime minister would do. I don't think that's a very good advertisement for prime ministerial decision-making."
Foreign Secretary David Miliband took his place at the ceremony, with Mr Brown then flying to the Portuguese capital a few hours later. To pretend that this is any different to the failed constitution and deny the British people a referendum is monstrous Nigel FarageLeader, UK Independence Party class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7141651.stm">EU leaders sign treaty
Majority voting The Liberal Democrats said Mr Brown's absence raised "serious questions".
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. Lib Dem leadership contender and ex-MEP Chris Huhne criticised "inept and peevish behaviour that leaves Gordon Brown's reputation for honest dealing with our EU partners hanging by a thread".
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 UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said he spoke to Foreign Secretary David Miliband in Lisbon just moments before he signed the treaty and repeated his demand for a referendum, receiving only "a hollow laugh" in reply.
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". Mr Farage said: "This is just about the most thoroughly dishonest political process I have ever been witness to.
"This is a constitutional treaty with profound, far-reaching implications and for the British Government to pretend it is something it isn't and deny us a referendum is monstrous."
Referendum rejected
Mr Miliband stood in for Mr Brown for the signing in the Portuguese capital.
Mr Brown has said there was no need for a referendum as the treaty was different from the constitution rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005.
But he told the Commons liaison committee there would be "more scope for Parliament to debate some of these issues than there has been in the past".
The treaty has now been signed by all 27 members of the EU
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' 'Ingeneous 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'
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.
"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".
'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.
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."
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."
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.
"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.