Straw signals Britain may abandon vote on EU treaty

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By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor

19 May 2005

"Britain's campaign to ratify the EU constitution was mired in confusion after Downing Street signalled that the Government would wait until after the French vote before deciding whether to go ahead with a referendum.

Jack Straw fuelled doubts that Britain's vote would go ahead yesterday when he refused to commit Britain to a referendum if the French voted "no'' on 29 May and the Dutch followed suit three days later. The Foreign Secretary said that would leave the EU with a "problem" and the European Council of Ministers could lift the legal requirement on Britain to ratify the constitution....

The Foreign Secretary appeared to contradict the new minister for Europe, Douglas Alexander, who only an hour earlier in the Commons quoted the Prime Minister's words, committing Britain to a referendum whatever the outcome of the French vote. Mr Blair said in the Commons on 18 April: "I have always said we will have a vote on the constitution. It doesn't matter what other countries do."

[tjwmason]

1. If the French vote against it

There are two options - first a repeat of the Danes and Maastricht, or the Constitution becomes a dead-duck. The Latter case becomes aLmost certain if the margin is Large; in this case there is no need for Britain to ratify the Constitution, and thus no need for a referendum.

PoodLe-boy was desperate to avoid this referendum, and wouLd Love to be abLe to drop it now - because he reaLises that he wiLL aLmost certainLy Lose it.