Vaz urges EU treaty vote

Keith Vaz urged Prime Minister Gordon Brown to allow a vote on the treaty, which critics claim is a replica of the old EU Constitution.

Labour promised a referendum on the Constitution but Downing Street has repeatedly rejected calls for a new poll. In an open letter to The Sun, Leicester East MP Mr Vaz said the referendum should be held at the same time as the next General Election.

He said: "The British people should have the chance to vote in a referendum on the Treaty which will enable us to continue our engagement with Europe. Gordon Brown has made a terrific start to his premiership. He is trusted by the British public. It is time for the Government to trust the people on this issue. We have nothing to fear."

Under Mr Vaz's plan, voters would be given a separate ballot paper asking the question: "Do you support Britain's continuing membership of the EU as set out under the terms of the Reform Treaty?"

The last Labour manifesto backed a referendum on the Constitution but ministers maintain a vote of MPs in Parliament is good enough.

The Treaty, which was agreed by Europe's leaders in June, includes many of the provisions of the Constitution, which was dumped after a "no" vote in France. Senior politicians in other European countries have admitted the Treaty is almost identical to the Constitution.

Trade unions and backbench Labour MPs have joined Opposition calls for a vote in recent weeks. Eurosceptic Labour MP Ian Davidson last week said the Treaty gave the "self-propelled bureaucracy" in Brussels greater powers.

Mr Vaz accused opponents of the Treaty of wanting to end Britain's membership of the European Union, and said a referendum would force them to "put up or shut up".

He said the Government was not obliged to hold a vote, because other EU treaties had not been put to a vote, but argued that Britain needed to decide whether to be "at the heart of Europe" or to "turn our backs on Europe".