Brown thwarts EU referendum bid

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A Conservative amendment calling for a referendum was defeated by 311 votes to 248 - a majority of 63 - as just 29 Labour rebels joined the Tories in the division lobbies.

A rebel Labour amendment was defeated by a similar margin of 311 to 247.

However Nick Clegg's leadership of the Liberal Democrats was left in disarray as a total of 15 Lib Dem MPs - almost a quarter of the parliamentary party - defied orders to abstain and voted instead for a referendum.

Three senior frontbenchers - justice spokesman David Heath, countryside spokesman Tim Farron, and Scotland and Northern Ireland spokesman Alistair Carmichael - quit to join the revolt.

Mr Clegg, who has been leader for less than three months, denied that he had made a massive miscalculation in imposing a three line whip, insisting that he had the support of "overwhelming majority" of Lib Dem MPs.

"These things happen on issues with the importance of Europe," he said. "It is not such a big thing that from time to time in a parliamentary party there is a division of opinion."

He said that he would be speaking to other rebels - including eight junior frontbenchers - in the coming "hours and days".

Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary William Hague said that the Conservatives would now attempt to reintroduce the referendum amendment when the treaty goes to the House of Lords.

"It is convention that the House of Lords does not stand in the way of manifesto commitments. We hope that in this case the Lords will hold the Government to their manifesto commitment," he said.