PM vow to protect national interest

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At the start of the EU summit in Lisbon, the Prime Minister stressed his determination to preserve the UK's "red line" opt outs.

"At every point we have been determined to protect the British national interest and ensure the interests of the British people are safeguarded," he told reporters.

The EU leaders gathered in the Portuguese capital were expected to reach a final political agreement on the treaty.

Mr Brown said that he hoped a deal would mark an end to the "inward-looking institutional debate" which had dominated discussions within the EU and enable them to move on to issues such as economic and social change.

The Prime Minister continued to resist calls for a UK referendum on the treaty - despite a poll showing 69% of voters backed a national ballot.

He insisted that as the new text would result in no "fundamental changes" and the constitutional idea had been abandoned, such a vote was unnecessary.

And he accused the Tories - who have been pushing for a referendum - of hypocrisy as they had not held one on the Maastricht Treaty when in government.

Earlier, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned the UK's "red lines" should be respected - but there should be no fresh British demands at the summit,

After a pre-summit meeting of Socialist political leaders attended by the Prime Minister in the Portuguese capital, Mr Barroso said he regretted that several EU countries had pushed for "opt-outs" from various parts of the new reform treaty designed to replace the defunct constitution.