Lisbon Treaty faces final parliamentary test in UK

The controversial Lisbon Treaty reaches its final UK parliamentary hurdle today - amid claims the deal is already dead.

In the wake of last week’s Irish “No” vote, the House of Lords will debate the text for the last time.

Officials believe the Treaty could have received "royal assent" by the time Gordon Brown meets European leaders in Brussels tomorrow.

However, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has admitted that all 27 EU countries must ratify the agreement in order for it to come into force. Irish politicians have ruled out holding another referendum, but France and Germany are thought to be keen to push ahead.

Eurosceptic Tory MP Bill Cash expects to hear today whether his application for judicial review of the treaty will be allowed to proceed.

Mr Cash said he was not challenging the British parliament, but seeking a statement from the UK High Court that the treaty was now “incapable of ratification”.

“The Lisbon Treaty cannot come into force unless every single member state ratifies,” he said.

“The Irish people were asked in a referendum and have answered ’No’. This is directly binding on the Irish Government - they cannot change it.

“This treaty is dead as a parrot. What I’m saying is that the treaty has ceased to have any meaningful effect.”

The Treaty is the latest stage in the European Union’s long-running saga of trying to streamline decision-making following its expansion to 27 members.

Controversial measures in the treaty include the creation of a new permanent president of the European Council, a new foreign affairs representative and the loss of many national vetoes.

Alongside Mr Cash’s bid, millionaire spreadbetting tycoon Stuart Wheeler is awaiting the outcome of a judicial review of the UK government’s refusal to hold a referendum.