Blair’s shift set to open route for historic vote on EU constitution

IN a dramatic policy U-turn, British Prime Minister Tony Blair will today announce a referendum on the new EU constitution.

Any poll is not expected to take place at least until next year, possibly after a June general election, and will be only one of several similar plebiscites taking place across the EU.

Senior sources last night confirmed that Mr Blair will tell MPs that if a constitutional treaty is agreed in June, Parliament should have the first chance to scrutinise it.

But the Prime Minister will then open the way for a public ballot to finally approve the document.

His decision to make a Commons statement in person followed days of drama at Westminster and a confused few hours yesterday. Downing Street first said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw would break the news to MPs, but later confirmed it would be Mr Blair.

The Prime Minister had consistently set his face against Conservative demands for a referendum, saying the draft treaty did not represent a fundamental shift in Britain's relationship with Europe.

But in the last few days, Cabinet aides and colleagues began to indicate he had changed his mind.

It will be the first big test of British public opinion on Europe since 1975 when Harold Wilson's Labour Government asked voters whether they wanted to stay in what was then the Common Market.

Downing Street pointed out that even if a treaty was agreed by the 25 EU governments in June, it would be October or November before it was translated and ready for MPs to discuss.

The parliamentary timetable virtually guarantees a referendum would be impossible before the spring of 2005, with a general election a distinct possibility in May or June.

The Prime Minister made no mention of the constitutional issue when he addressed the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development in London yesterday, nor when he took Mr Straw's place to make a statement on Iraq and the Middle East in the Commons in the afternoon.

But even as Mr Blair was on his feet in Westminster, his official spokesperson was announcing that the premier would address MP.

"When I said the statement would be by the Foreign Secretary, I should have said the Prime Minister," said the spokesperson.

"On reflection, after we thought about how the statement would be perceived and its importance and so on...it's natural he should be seen to make this statement," he added.

Tory leader Michael Howard last night repeated his call for any poll to be held as early as possible.

He said: "Once the final text of the constitution has been agreed by Europe, we should move quickly to hold a referendum.

"There is no case for delaying any further and there is no point MPs wasting months talking about the constitution if it is going to be completely unacceptable to the British people."

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said: "The Liberal Democrats have long argued for a constitution for the European Union, which will define more clearly what the EU does and does not have a say in.

"I look forward to hearing the Prime Minister say that we will now have a referendum, so the British people have the final word on what it contains."