Foreign Secretary urges Britain to say 'Yes' to EU treaty

Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, has urged the British public to approve the new EU Constitutional Treaty.

The government have published a Bill to make the new treaty part of UK law, subject to the British people voting 'yes' in a referendum.

Mr Straw said that the treaty emphasised a "British vision for Europe", which both limits and fixes the EU's powers, gives national governments a stronger grip in Europe, streamlines the European Commission and gives national parliaments the power to better examine European legislation.

Commenting on the treaty, the Foreign Secretary said: "Britain will not have to relinquish control of its borders. We will not be forced to scrap our currency. We will not have to give up our independent right to set our own foreign policy or to commit British troops. And – contrary to one of the more absurd claims that have been made – Her Majesty the Queen will not lose her status as our Head of State."

Mr Straw warned that if Britain rejected the treaty, it would become "isolated and weak" in Europe. However, he said if Britain endorsed the treaty, "we fix the framework for our kind of Europe, one in which Britain is more prosperous and more powerful". The Foreign Secretary added: "Anti-Europeans have a habit of wrapping themselves in the union flag in order to paint Europe as a threat to Britain's national sovereignty and way of life. But the real patriotic case is overwhelmingly in favour of Britain's engagement in the European Union. It is time pro-Europeans claimed this argument. At stake is nothing less than the very nature of Britain's power in the world."

However, anti-European campaign group, Vote No, has accused the government of trying to "sneak out" the EU Constitution Bill, because it is "extremely unpopular with voters and business.

The group also accused the government of planning to spend large amounts of taxpayers' money, in order to attempt to convince voters to accept the Constitution.

Campaign Director, Neil O'Brien said: "69 per cent of voters and 60 per cent of business leaders are against signing up to the EU Constitution. But instead of listening, the government is planning to spend large amounts of taxpayers' money, trying to sell the EU Constitution to voters."

(KMcA/SP)