Murphy: Lisbon treaty no different to others

Ratifying EU amending treaties without a referendum is "the way we… run these things", Europe minister Jim Murphy insisted last night.

Mr Murphy was commenting as the government won a Commons vote dismissing the need for a referendum on the Lisbon treaty.

Speaking on BBC2's Newsnight programme, he said the Single European Act, Maastricht treaty and the Amsterdam and Nice treaties had all been ratified by parliament.

And because the Lisbon treaty has no constitutional overtones – a point disputed by the Conservatives – there is no need for it to be put to the public, he argues.

"It is the way we have run these things over the years regardless of which government is in power," Mr Murphy explained.

"The fact is that across the EU we are in the same place as 26 other governments of centre-left and centre-right who are ratifying this through their parliaments."