Miliband guarantee on Lisbon Treaty

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Mr Miliband rejected suggestions that Britain wants Ireland to rerun its referendum in the hope of securing a Yes vote and said there would be "no bamboozling or bulldozing" of Dublin as it considers its next move.

The Foreign Secretary also defended trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, who came under fire on Thursday night from French president Nicolas Sarkozy for his supposed role in Ireland's rejection of the treaty last week.

The European Council summit in Brussels is expected to finish without a solution to the problem thrown up by last week's vote in Ireland - the only one of the EU's 27 member states to put the Lisbon Treaty to a referendum.

The draft final summit declaration, due to be agreed before EU leaders return home, expresses "respect" for the Irish vote, gives Dublin until October to come up with fresh ideas, and calls on other countries to press ahead with their own ratifications.

The UK became the 19th country to ratify this week when the EU Amendment Bill completed its passage through Parliament and received Royal Assent.

A further seven states are still considering ratification, but the Czech Republic has suspended the process until the autumn by referring the treaty to its Constitutional Court.

Asked if the British Government wanted Ireland to vote again, Mr Miliband replied: "No. I want the Irish to decide what they think is the right thing to do."

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There is no bamboozling or bulldozing. That isn't possible because you can't have a treaty coming into force unless all 27 countries support it."

Mr Miliband appeared to suggest that Taoiseach Brian Cowen's Government may be able to win over some public support by assuring voters that the Treaty will not mean a loss of influence for Ireland in the European Commission.