Referendum floated as election decider

The Sun newspaper launches a campaign to force a referendum on the EU treaty.

Monday, 24, Sep 2007 12:00

Gordon Brown's hopes of a smooth election campaign suffered a setback today after the Sun newspaper threatened to push for a referendum on Europe right up until the poll date.

The paper that claimed to have won the election for Tony Blair in 1997, threatened to make life difficult for the new prime minister unless he kept his "promise" to hold a referendum on the EU treaty.

Amending the words of Winston Churchill, the newspaper's front page declared this morning "Never have so few decided so much for so many."

The Sun is vehemently opposed to the EU treaty, which it argues is fundamentally the same as the rejected EU constitution – upon which Labour promised a referendum in 2005 – and will pass control of foreign policy, police and welfare issues to Europe.

The government argue this is not the case, pointing to the so-called "red lines" negotiated by Tony Blair in June.

Gordon Brown argues a referendum is only necessary if there is a substantial change in the British constitution. However, he does not believe the treaty poses this fundamental change.

He told the Times yesterday: "We have achieved for Britain the negotiating of objectives that prevent people from concluding that there’s a fundamental change either in the Charter of Rights and the way it’s interpreted, or in the justice and home affairs portfolio."

In an attempt to put fresh pressure on the government, the Sun argues today Labour's poll lead could slip unless it promises a referendum on the EU treaty.

Mr Brown's lead against David Cameron is strong in all polls, with the latest Ipsos Mori poll for the Sun putting Labour on 42 per cent and the Conservatives on 34 per cent, with the Lib Dems on 14 per cent.

However, if Mr Brown definitively rules out a referendum, Labour's poll lead slips to one per cent. Conversely, public support for Mr Brown leaps considerably when a referendum is promised, with Labour's poll lead rising to 17 per cent.

The Sun poll reveals four in five voters want a referendum on the EU treaty, with nearly two-thirds thinking the government is breaking its earlier manifesto promise.