The UK Parliament on March 5 turned down the Tories’ attempt to hold a referendum on the Lisbon treaty, which substituted the EU constitution after French and Dutch voters rejected it in national referenda in 2005.With a narrow majority of 311 votes against 248, MPs rejected the amendment to the EU treaty Bill and decided that the new treaty will instead be ratified through parliamentary vote.
The debate on the treaty has flamed UK parliamentary works for the last months, and a growing pressure has been mounted on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to hold a referendum after he signed the treaty in Lisbon last December.
David Cameron, the Tory leader, accused Mr Brown of breaking the promise his government made in 2005 that British citizens would be given the chance to have their say on the EU constitution.
But Mr Brown denied that. He said that the new treaty may not be compared to the late constitution and a referendum wasn’t needed any longer, as the UK government had already assured Britain opt-outs in vital areas and national sovereignty would not be put at risk.
Yesterday’s vote, however, showed how divisive the issue still is among British MPs. 29 Labour MPs voted in favour of the amendment, while three Tories said they were against a referendum.
Among Liberal Democrats, despite their leader Nick Clegg ordered to abstain from a vote, several voted in favour of a referendum and three frontbenchers resigned.
The treaty is now expected to be ratified by next summer.
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