Press Association, 19th October 2007

EU STRIKES DEAL ON REFORM TREATY

By Jon Smith and Geoff Meade, PA, in Lisbon

EU leaders agreed the text of their controversial reform treaty today - with Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisting Britain's ``red lines'' were intact.

The 27 heads of state and government struck the deal after late-night wrangling over the number of Italian MEPs and Poland's voting strength in the reformed European Union.

The meeting in Lisbon, with Portugal holding the rotating presidency of the EU, reached an agreement which ends a political crisis triggered by the rejection of a proposed constitution by voters in France and the Netherlands.

Mr Brown says he is now convinced the EU must move on to tackle crucial issues such as globalisation and climate change, promoting jobs and growth and energy security within the union.

Mr Brown insisted last night: ``At every point we have been determined to protect the British national interest and ensure the interests of the British people are safeguarded.''

Mr Brown said that he hoped the deal would mark an end to the ``inward-looking institutional debate'' which had dominated discussions within the EU and enable it to move on to issues such as economic and social change.

The Prime Minister also repeated last night his insistence that there would be no need for a UK referendum on the treaty - despite a poll showing 69% of voters backed a national ballot.

Mr Brown laid stress on the ``detailed scrutiny'' the new deal would come under in the Commons, with reports suggesting three months of government business in parliament have been set aside for it.

Labour hopes internal wrangling among Tory MPs over the treaty will damage leader David Cameron's resurgence in the polls, once the spotlight switches back to the Commons.

Officials said the UK's insistence on its red lines on justice and home affairs, defence and foreign policy, social security and a Charter of Fundamental Rights was never in question during the last hectic round of talks.

Mr Brown said: ``The reform treaty has now been agreed. The red lines have been secured. The British national interest has been protected.

``It is now time for Europe to move on and devote all our efforts to the issues that matter to the people of Europe - economic growth, jobs, climate change and security.''

Shadow Europe minister Mark Francois said: ``In the small hours of the night Gordon Brown has agreed the revised EU constitution which potentially transfers massive powers from Britain to the EU.

``He had absolutely no democratic mandate to do this and we will now step up our campaign to secure the referendum which he promised the British people all along.''

The Tories unveiled a poster today - with the slogan ``Who has a say on the EU Treaty? Not you. Just Gordon'' - in an attempt to increase the pressure for a vote.

Launching the ad, which then toured London on a lorry, shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: ``Gordon Brown cannot walk away from his manifesto promise of a referendum.

``He has absolutely no democratic mandate to agree to this treaty. It is not just his decision - the final say must belong to the British people.''

The party leadership later came under pressure from eurosceptic MPs and peers to intensify the debate by spelling out the reasons not just for a referendum but for a ``no'' vote.

At a Westminster press conference organised by the Global Vision campaign group, Bill Cash said: ``My call is very simple - and it is to the Conservative Party as well as to the country at large: it's no good simply asking for a referendum.

``We have to spell out the reasons why that referendum is necessary in the democratic interests of the people of this country.

``We need to get down to explaining why this situation as it now stands is of direct concern to the daily lives of people in this country.

``The Conservative Party has got to start grappling with the reasons why we want a 'no' vote.''

Fellow MP John Redwood said the new treaty handed so many powers to the European Court of Justice and Commission that opponents were ``battling to keep a democracy in these islands''.

And former Cabinet minister Lord Tebbit said it was a case of ``finding the way to get the British dog out of the federal manger''.