Irish voters stunned Europe's leaders and brought the ratification process shuddering to a halt, voting by 53.4% to 46.6% to reject the treaty.

As jubilant 'No' campaigners celebrated in Dublin, the Tories said that the treaty should now finally be declared dead and called on Gordon Brown to abandon ratification by the UK.

But Mr Miliband said that while it was important to respect the Irish result, there should also be a "British view" on the treaty, as expressed in the ratification bill currently going through Parliament.

"I think it is right that we follow the view that each country must see the ratification process to a conclusion," he said.

"I believe it is right that we continue with our process and take up the Irish offer of further discussions about the next steps forward."

Meanwhile, Tory leader David Cameron said he was "delighted" by the result of the Irish referendum, and called on Gordon Brown to abandon the ratification process in Britain.

"People in Ireland have sent the clearest possible message that they do not want this treaty, they do not want this constitution," he said.

"By all rights now it should be declared dead. The French said 'no' to it, the Dutch said 'no' to it, then it was brought back and the only people who have been given a chance to pass judgment on it, the Irish, have now said 'no' to it.

"The elites in Brussels have got to listen to people in Europe who do not want endless powers being passed from nation states to Brussels. They do not want these endless constitutions and treaties."