Britain: The end

BRITAIN was last night frogmarched into a miserable new era of meddling Brussels rule after the final remaining resistance to the hated Lisbon Treaty collapsed.

Brown promised the people a referendum but signed away our powers in Dec 2007 Brown promised the people a referendum but signed away our powers in Dec 2007

With a stroke of a pen, Czech president Vaclav Klaus ensured a tidal wave of new European Union regulations and interference for Britain by signing up to the deal.

His signature means the EU will now get a new rule book creating a European president – possibly Tony Blair – and stripping Britain of powers to control our own ­borders.

Rounding off a day of national shame, Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague conceded defeat in the Tory battle for a national referendum over the document.

Mr Hague put the blame squarely on Labour for not sticking up for Britain. He said: “It is a bad day for democracy. The people of Ireland have had two opportunities to vote but the British people have never even voted once, and we will not let ­people forget whose responsibility that is.

“Gordon Brown promised people a referendum at the last election – the people have never been consulted in a general election or a referendum.”

Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the Lisbon Treaty clearing the way for a European president Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the Lisbon Treaty, clearing the way for a European president

The Czech decision means the widely despised treaty will come into force next month without British voters ever being given a say. Giving into pressure from his country’s high court to sign the treaty, Mr Klaus warned that the Czech Republic and other countries would “cease to be a sovereign state”.

The Czechs were the last of the EU’s 27 members to sign the treaty. But their signature means it will be law from December 1. Last night, Gordon Brown said Mr Klaus’s signature marked “an important and historic step for all of Europe”.

But he was braced for fresh accusations of betraying Britain’s proud history.

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Gordon Brown promised people a referendum at the last election – the people have never been consulted in a general election or a referendum.

William Hague

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Philip Davies, a founder member of the Better Off Out group of anti-EU Tory MPs, said: “It’s certainly a very bad day for British democracy. The most worrying thing is that this treaty gives the EU the power to amend it itself so it can take even more powers.

Lord knows what the implications of that will be. It’s a sad day for ­people who hold British sovereignty dear.” Lorraine Mullally, from think tank Open Europe, said: “Unelected EU judges will see their powers bolstered and more and more decisions affecting our everyday lives will be taken by bureaucrats behind closed doors in Brussels.”

The treaty means an end to British control over a huge swathe of powers, including the right of asylum in the UK.

It also means Europe will now get its own president and foreign secretary and Britain will lose its veto over dozens of policy areas, including crime and justice.

David Cameron was braced for a wave of anger as it was confirmed that the Conservatives had ditched plans for a referendum on the treaty. He is expected to say today that a Conservative government would ensure no more powers were transferred to Europe without a vote.

He is also likely to promise that the Conservatives would “repatriate” powers that Brussels has been allowed to snatch away. But many Conservatives – ­especially grassroots activists – were last night accusing him of reneging on the “cast-iron” guarantee to hold a referendum he offered two years ago.

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Tory eurosceptic Bill Cash said: “We need a referendum – no ifs, no buts.” Another Tory MP, Roger Gale, said: “We have said we will not let the matter rest. As far as I and many ­colleagues are ­concerned, that means a vote.”

But Mr Hague last night insisted the Tory vow applied only as long as Lisbon had not already become law.

Labour promised a referendum on any new European constitution in its 2005 manifesto. But when the name of the document was changed from “constitution” to “treaty” after French and Dutch voters rejected it in 2005, Gordon Brown ditched the pledge.

A summit of all 27 EU nations meets next week to discuss who gets the jobs of president and high representative for ­foreign affairs.

Mr Brown’s spokesman said last night the Prime Minister had still not yet heard from Tony Blair whether he wants to go ahead with his stuttering bid for the £250,000-a-year presidency.

“If Mr Blair decides that he wishes to be a candidate, the Prime Minister will be very supportive of his candidacy,” said the spokesman.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband is a potential candidate for the high representative job but Mr Brown has tried to block growing support for him to get it.

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