Parties clash ahead of EU referendum debate

The Labour government has clashed with the Conservative party ahead of today's debate for a referendum on the European constitution.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw criticised the Conservatives' call for a renegotiation of Britain's terms of membership of the EU, saying it was "an impossible and unworkable policy" that would leave Britain "isolated and weakened".

However, Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary, Michael Ancram, said that Mr Straw's comments showed how "rattled" the government are over the issue. He said: "They know that their own European policy has been a comprehensive failure. They were against an EU constitution, but now they've signed up to it. They were against giving the EU control over asylum, but they've broken that pledge. They said an EU foreign minister would be 'unacceptable' but the constitution provides for one."

The constitution was signed last October by European leaders, however, it cannot come into effect until it has been ratified by all members. Today's debate, where the second reading of the European Union Bill will take place, will pave the way for a referendum to be held. The British public will be given the chance to vote on whether the treaty establishing the constitution should be approved.

The government has suggested that the vote should take place in Spring 2006. However, the Conservatives have already stated that they would hold the referendum sooner, if they came to power.

Mr Straw warned that a full withdrawal from the EU would have "profound implications for Britain's prosperity and security" and he called the Conservatives campaign for ratification of the constitutional treaty a "fantasy designed to appease hardline eurosceptics." He said: "Claiming that Britain can accept the bits of being an EU member that it likes and withdraw from all the others is not a serious policy."

However, the Conservatives have stated that the European constitution would create a European 'superstate'. Mr Ancram said :"There is a clear choice for the country: more power and red tape for Brussels under Tony Blair and the Labour Party or powers brought back from Brussels to Britain with Michael Howard and the Conservatives."

The Conservatives also stated that a new survey showed that most of Britain's businesses were "highly sceptical" about the European constitution. An NOP poll for the Institute of Directors (IoD) found that 49% of company chiefs were opposed to the constitution and only 29% were in favour of it. IoD Director General, Miles Templeman, said: "The government faces a major challenge if it is to convince businesses they would be better off with an EU constitution."

The Liberal Democrats are supporting the European constitution.

(KmcA)