Final attempt for EU treaty poll in UK set to fail
LUCIA KUBOSOVA
02.04.2008 @ 09:27 CET
A final attempt by the British opposition to get a referendum on the EU's Lisbon treaty is close to failing after the Liberal Democrat members of the country's upper house suggested they would vote against such a move.
Britain's biggest opposition party, the Conservatives, were hoping the Liberal Democrats would abstain from vote on the proposal to hold a popular poll on the EU treaty just as they did in the House of Commons.
The UK's House of Lords is likely to reject the last attempt for Lisbon treaty referendum (Photo: Deryc Sands)
But the abstention would have a different implication in the upper house, as the ruling Labour Party does not hold a majority there. In abstaining, the Liberal Democrats would boost the chances of the referendum.
Both the Conservatives and the UK Independence Party have criticised the move. Leading Conservative MP William Hague said that the Lib Dem position on Europe was "now in total chaos."
"They now have a three-way split between rebel MPs who want a referendum, Lords officially voting against a referendum and a leadership lamely abstaining," he said, according to BBC.
But when setting out the Lib Dem position, Lord McNally said: "Our general election commitment to a referendum was on a constitutional treaty. That commitment died with the constitution which was rejected by the French and the Dutch."
The EU's Lisbon treaty was adopted in December 2007. It includes parts of the European Constitution, which was agreed in 2004 but failed to achieve the popular support in France and the Netherlands needed for its ratification.
The new treaty is due to be adopted in national parliaments, apart from Ireland where a referendum - required by a national constitution - is scheduled for June.
Czech MPs say yes
Meanwhile, the Czech lower house has given the green light to the treaty in a first reading of a bill approving the document, but the final vote is expected months later, probably this autumn.
The ruling Civic Democrat Party (ODS) is demanding a review of the treaty by the country's constitutional court. They want the judges to evaluate whether the EU document, including its fundamental rights charter, is in line with the Czech constitution.
However, there is enough support for the Lisbon treaty in Prague even without the help of its ODS critics, as it is likely to win backing by the biggest opposition party, the Social Democrats (CSSD), plus the two junior government parties, the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Greens, as well as a majority of ODS deputies.