Garry Nelson's teacher
Well-known member
I dug out this 'timeline, covering the period. It might well show that Brown was 'a traitor' but it probably better illustrates the long term problematic relationship that both the parties (and indeed the country) have had with the EU in general and Lisbon in particular. The technicality is whether the Lisbon Treaty was not the same as the proposed 'Constitutional Treaty' on which all the major parties proposed a referendum in their 2005 manifestos.
But we can all agree that much water has flowed under the bridge since then and that you guys got your referendum in the end. So all's well that ends well, treachery notwithstanding.
2004: Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair says a referendum will be held on ratification of the European Constitution Treaty but does not name a date for the poll
2005: Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all promise a referendum on whether to ratify the EU Constitution in their general election manifestos. France and the Netherlands reject the proposal in referendums
2006: The cross-party Better Off Out Group, seeking the UK's withdrawal from the EU, is launched
2007: The European Commission proposes a replacement treaty, which comes to be known as the Lisbon Treaty. The Labour government says it is a different document, amending not overwriting existing treaties, and a referendum is not needed. Conservative leader David Cameron gives a "cast-iron guarantee" to hold a referendum on any treaty emerging from the Lisbon process if he becomes PM
2008: Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg calls for an "in-out" referendum on UK membership of the EU. MPs reject a Conservative call for a referendum on whether the Lisbon Treaty should be ratified by 63 votes. 15 Labour MPs and 14 Lib Dems rebel against their parties
2008: The UK ratifies the Lisbon Treaty. The High Court rejects calls for a judicial review of the decision by Tory MP Bill Cash and businessman Stuart Wheeler. They claim ratification without a referendum was illegal
2009: David Cameron admits he will not be able to fulfil his pledge to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty because it has been ratified by all EU member states. But he says, if elected, no future substantial transfer of powers will take place without the approval of the British people. The UK Independence Party, which puts an in/out referendum on UK membership of the EU at the heart of its programme, comes second in the European Parliament elections, with 16% of votes.
