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We have been denied a referendum but we should demand one on getting out, that is our right. Cameron has always liked the EU and never intended rocking the boat. This idea on the referendum he thought many would reject it, well they did but what he hadn't reckoned on was them coming back and insisting on a second vote. Well they voted and left him in this mess, which is Labour's making and will be their downfall. We should now be asked to vote on whether we wish to remain in, and some citizens, remember, have never had that vote like the older ones. I'd vote to come out and be free once more and take my chances with free trade round the world like before. We can come out if we wish but the trouble is politicians won't tell you that, they wish to remain in, but its us who decide if we've the courage to demand what we want not them. We need the media on ourside, that might be a problem has they've supported the government for years, its about time they began supporting the people for a change and talked about a true democracy for once. I won't however hold my breath. We don't want this monster EU we want to be free and we will have our referendum come what may even if it means altering parliament and its politicians to do it, new party, new faces, not tainted with stealing and greed, new start and freedom to choose a real democracy.

- Barbara, West Midlands

Unfortunately Cameron let the cat out of the bag when he basically endorsed Blair as EU president - He clearly has no more interest in Britain than Brown does.

- Kris, London

Gordon Brown and tony Blair should be tried for treason. Borwn, an unelected Prime Minister, who decided to hand over sovereignty to Brussels agains the wishes of the great majority of the British people. Tony Blair for having engineered mass immigration to suit his purposes.

- Beatriz, London

So much for Cameron and his "cast iron guarantee" to the nation. Really fills you with a sense of "oh, no - here we go again" at what a future Tory government would be like, doesn't it?

- Richard, London UK

Cameron the toffee nosed traitor,..all Eatonian traitors together in the same stinking Parliament pot

- A. Brown, Manchester

It was quite obvious to anyone with the smallest intellect known to man, that a referendum COULD only be held, if not fully ratified prior to the next election and were the Conservatives to win. How can you hold a referendum on what is now part of EEC law? Labour promised a referendum, they moved the goal posts as usual. All that can be done now is for the Conservatives to pass a law, that no further Treaties/ constitutions will be accepted without a referendum. In addition to which they must hold OUR ground and demand the opt outs best suited for this country. Furthermore, we must decide on the level of immigration and not be TOLD what it will be.

- Macdangler, Wimbledon SW19

I see the usual foaming at the mouth brigade are out in force today!!
Let's put things in perspective. The UK cannot exist without the EU, fact, and all the Loonies from UKIP couldn't put a coherent argument forward to gainsay that.
It was Heath, a Tory prime minister who took us in. It was a labout government that gave you a referendum on whether we stayed in, it was overwhelmingly yes! It was Thatcher that joined the ERM, and wasn't that a brilliant move? and it was Major who signed the maastricht treaty that gave away most of our sovereignity. So have a look at the facts before you all make yourselves look extremely silly.

- Kerry, Purley

The only person to blame is Gordon Brown. We were promised a referendum and he reneged on that promise. Brown signed the Lisbon Treaty and he did so in a most despicable and degrading fashion. How humiliating the whole procedure was. I felt ashamed that he was my country's Prime Minister sneakily and slyly trying to avoid the pulicity of associating with the other signatories. There he was, without shame, signing away England's Sovreignty, the most disasterous and duplicitous PM ever. How did England sink so low as to be sadled with such a monster?

- Rob, Morpeth, England

Cameron just cant be trusted - plain and simple

- Keith Price, Luton England

#JacquiWilliams

David Cameron said nothing about whether the Treaty was ratified or not. He gave a cast iron guarantee that he would hold a referendum on the Treaty, no ifs or buts. There was no qualification whatsoever and it is no use him trying to wriggle out of his pledge now. Read the pledge he signed personally in the Sun.

- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain

It is the Labour Government who have betrayed Britain by reneging on their solemn promise to have a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. That cause has been lost through their betrayal and it is a measure of the duplicitous nature of New Labour to try to blame Cameron. New Labour's real problem is that underneath it dislikes the United Kingdom, as illustrated by its calls for a "continental" cafe culture, its deliberate hidden policy of mass immigration, its endless badgering of the UK population through the Nanny State and its ever more cloying obeisance to the dictates of the EU. Well there are plenty of us who do like our country and we shall have our say eventually, but it won't be just about the Lisbon Treaty but the whole undemocratic and corrupt sewer of Brussels and the treachery of New Labour. Brown and his cohorts will be consigned to history with contempt.

- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK

Still waiting for the referendum promised by one T Bliar.

- W A, Oxfordshire

David Cameron is NOT to blame for what he siad in 2008 Ireland had not voted nor had any other countries ratified it but he did say he would have a reverendum as long as the treaty was NOT ratified it is useless now having a referendum it would be expensive and mean nothing there now has to be another strategy but this is what labour does and it has been doing it for the last 12 years blames someone else for its own short comings. We all know Blair has given everything away for his own gratification and Brown is doing it all to get at the tories Brown never does anything for the country it is always party political and remember most of the labour government are communists. Remember too that this government is trying to get rid of the English remember what Straw said on question time in my book that is ethnic cleansing think about it if that were happening in any other country Brown would be the first to condemn it. What we should all be doing is FIGHTING back marches protests etc and should Blair become president tell him to stay away from the UK we do not want him or his wife here they can all live in exile. UKIP is no good what do they hope to do what are their policies they have none except to come out of the EU and then what

- Jacqui Williams, peterborough cambs

It does not seem to have occured to the EU hating head bangers that the Tory party have never offered a referendum on "in or out".Why?,because even they know that as an insignificent little island with no manufacturing industry of our own,we need the EU.

- Colin, barking essex

Cameron never had any intention of giving us a referendum on the Lisbon Constitution, or any other EUropean issue. He only ever made the promise because he was confident that his get out clause, full ratification of this traitors charter, would be realised before the next general election.
His promise to give us referenda on any future EUropean treaties is equally as disingenuous. The self-amending clause of the Lisbon Constitution means that there will be no more treaties for us to consider. Cameron is well aware of this, and it is this that has emboldened him to make this further promise.
He is as slippery and duplicitous as the treacherous Britain-haters of NuLiebour.

Val Daniels, part time Briton:
"Why accept responsibility for your own actions when you can blame somebody else?" Exactly. Just for once, McBroon-nosing NuLiebour bootlicker though you are, you have made a valid point (although not as you intended!).

Time to vote UKIP, if you want to be free.

- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster

Thats right Dave,go with the nothing to do with me mate attitude.This treaty was past through with the assistance of the official opposition,ie,your party.

- Dave, london

I find a lot of the comments on here to be rather uninformed. There seems to be a desire to bash David Cameron and the Tory party for being "turn-coats, wimps and decietful". How they can accused of these, after the 12 years of a Labour Government is unbelieveable.

It was Labour who didnt give the Lisbon treaty the test of popular opinion by submitting it to the people after promising a referandum in their last two manifestos.

labour lied not the conservatives. the lisbon treaty is now a law, agreedto by the labour led government, and there is nothing the conservatives can do about that. the conservatives tried to block it passing through parliament but got defeated by the labour led government.

- Egu Kini, London, UK.

Two pieces of fact that Brown's cronies are overlooking.

1) The German High Court recently made a ruling that supports German law overriding EU law if EU law is against the German constitution.

2) The Czech ratification only came about because the court filing took only a few weeks rather than the standard 6 months to fulfill

David Cameron was never going to call a referendum once the Lisbon Treaty was ratified and that has been widely known once the Irish voted yes. For anyone on the Government side of the House of Commons to speak of Tory backtracking, they should focus more on their own perfidious role in helping Gordon Brown betray the British People by not having the referendum that is clearly pledged in the last Labour Party election manifesto.

Otherwise, the new incumbents of Number 10 after the next election need to consider what is to be done to protect and manage British interests in Europe rather than remaining permanently in conflict with it

- John, Twickenham

Yet again our Dave shows his weakness and the serious structural flaws in the Tory party-they are not much different from nu-Labour in most things-eg they backed the illegal invasion of Iraq. They won't discuss immigration properly let alone suggest a coherent policy. As for the EU, they are running scared of Brussels like rabbits in the headlamps, and won't take the drastic action which the majority of the public wish to be taken, which could entail withdrawal from the EU entirely, unless the Brussels bureaucrats start to look after British interests better than they have done so far. Meanwhile, UKIP can only gain popularity unless Cameron sees sense and starts acting with some backbone.

- Jon Kent, Hertford. UK

Was there a complete bias in question time today with labour MP's shouting about promises? Wasn't it their party who had the promise of a referendum in their prospectus at the last election?

- Tojo, Hythe, Kent

David, prepare to watch your popularity plummet. You're as fickle and weak as Crash. I still believe in a Great Britain and hope someone comes forward who will think his country worth fighting for!

- Marianne, SW France/London

There is no point having a referendum on something that Gordon Brown has already allowed to happen. If there is a vote over Europe it will be on whether we are in or out, and according to Dave, we are in, like it or not. So, no referendum, get over it and blame Gordon for allowing the treaty to be enacted in the vain hope of getting his old pal Bliar elected as King of Europe.

What the Tories must do when they get the keys to No. 10 next May is look at all the expensive rules that Brussels has invented and that Labour has slavishly adopted, and start unpicking those that cause the most pain. The working time directive and human rights bill spring to mind immediately.

If you travel around Europe, you will find that a lot of countries "cherry pick" the rules that they implement, whereas in the UK we are always keen to be seen as the star pupil and adopt every ridiculous initiative, regardless of the cost to implement or the inconvenience it inflicts on the populace.

- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one

Not Cameron's fault and to blame him just lets the real culprits off the hook (we all know who they are). Roll on the real referendum; become part of a federal EU or keep our national sovereignty and leave the EU.

- Jules_London, london

The United Kingdom has changed its status from country to province of a larger country, and the great sadness is that most people in the U.K. don't have any knowledge of the change. The E.U. Constitution (Lisbon Treaty) has an amending formula allowing future changes to be made without requring any ratification by the provincial parliament at Westminster, so the screws will in future keep tightening (more and more of residual sovereignty given away) without any public awareness. If you read the second part of the Treaty (the one relating to the 'Functioning' of the E.U.), you will see that the provinces can give further powers to the central government, but there is no provision for powers to be transferred the other way, from the central government back to the provinces.

Even a few years ago the thought of the U.K. agreeing to a new federal constitution and provincial status seemed totally absurd. Yet here we are. My birthright and that of millions of others simply given away as we become nationals of a new federal country. The U.K. gone as a country after 300 years. Those who sacrificed everything to maintain the U.K. as a self-governing jurisdiction, for what? All for nothing. The right of self-government given away with hardly a whimper!

- Phil Jones, London UK

Can we have a referendum on whether the Tories need to have a policy or just maintain their position of hiding their heads in the sand.

I presume we'll have to watch David C. on tv tonight being all pompous and condescending, side stepping any real issue by saying everything so emphatically.

- Charles, Kennington

Yes stable door etc horse bolted etc.

But Cameron knew the Treaty would be ratified - did he really think that they would keep the issue open until beyond May next year.

If he was honest he would have said - yes referendum if the Treaty is not passed before the next general election but realistically we have no chance of that happending therefore it is not a live issue.

Be honest and do not take people to be fools although there are many of that type about who may fall for this.

- Gerald, London

We have just had a glimpse of a future Cameron Government - dictators to the last. The public need their say, so he should give us a referendum. If he doesn't, can we honestly have faith in a future Conservative Government?

- Jane Etchells, UK

Why do you need to bring back Maggie when you've got William Hague? No doubt he will be repeating her speeches regularly after the next Election. However it will just be a lot of hot air. You have to judge the Tories by their attitude to Europe when they were last in power. Under Thatcher we entered the ERM and under Major the Tories signed the Mastricht Treaty. Promises and fine words butter no parsnips.

- D Dare, Kenton England

Whats the point in having an expensive referendum on an issue thats effectively closed anyway? Surely the cash would be better served paying off a minature chunk of Brown's gigantic debt mountain.

- Dave, London

And there was silly me thinking the tories were gonna offer me a sensible alternative, Sold out again. No wonder those like Griffen are doing so well.

- Les, London

That is not good enough! David Cameron and William Hague knew months and months ago that the British public were not granted a referendum. They are just as terrible as Labour. They had every chance months ago to take the vote to the country regardless. Instead, Cameron kept quiet and minced about with the issue.

The only thing Cameron cares about is not rocking the boat with the EU Leaders. Tough! They need shaking up a little bit and they need to know what the British opinion is - what we want and not just what our dictatorial MPs want. That will add strength to Cameron within Europe and will give us a voice. At the moment he looks like a lefty dictator. By not holding a referendum he will look disgraceful and there will be no opposition. This is wet sock politics.

The British People should hold their own Referendum and soon. This is a very serious matter and we have every right to have a referendum and have our voices heard. Anyone up for a Referendum?

- Madam Defarge, London UK

It's all very well the political classes bleating on about the legal niceties. The fact remains that the UK has ratified this Treaty which is about to be brought into force, in breach of referendum undertakings by all the major parties, and in spite of clear indications that the British electorate is against it. It is a three-card trick which nobody should fall for.

If Cameron had the spine he would now state clearly that, should he gain power, there will be a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and thus challenge Brussels to bring it into in the face of a likely forthcoming test of British opinion. Either way, Britain wins; if Brussels goes ahead regardless, the EU's democratic credentials are proved to be a sham. If they take notice, we will have our say.

Mr Cameron's limp-wristed response indicates that he is no different to any other leading politician, as well as ensuring a shed load of votes, including mine, for UKIP.

- John C, Leatherhead, UK

Whilst GB might be to blame for a lot of things he is not to blame for Cameron backtracking!

- Andy, london

Gordon Brown might have signed the Lisbon Treaty, but it was David Cameron who sold his soul when he personally signed a 'cast iron guarantee' that he would hold a referendum if he became PM. There were no buts or maybe's; nothing about 'but if', or 'if this or that happens in the interim'. It was a cast iron guarantee, a pledge, a promise, which he has now broken, reneged on and withdrawn. He is in a mess of his own making and will rue the day. And now to blame Gordon Brown because of his own spinelessness just shows him for what he is. Why accept responsibility for your own actions when you can blame somebody else? Why am I not surprised. I have been saying this would be the outcome for months. Mr Cameron, ensure brain is engaged before operating mouth in future

- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain

Dave, we don't want renegotiation. We want OUT.

- Ken, Bexleyheath

Is Brown to be blamed for all the ill conceived Tory policies.
Come on Dave, own up - you made a mistake.

- Barry Chapman, Welwyn England

Blair,Brown,Cameron, three peas in the same pod, no difference whatsoever.

- Joe, London

The horse has gone. The man who let it go, no encouraged it to go, was Gordon Brown, its his signature on the document.

David Cameron is leader of the opposition party, he has no power, he cannot affect anything Gordon Brown chooses to do, we, the electorate voted for Gordon Brown's party, we are collectively responsible.

Hope this throws some light and a difficult problem we all seem to be having with the current situation.

- J R J, Glen Vine

Firstly, perhaps DD from Basingstoke, Hants, needs to look up "Maggie" and check out her current suitability. Secondly, short, or convenient, memories (relating to New Labour and the Lib Dems renegeing on THEIR promises to the British public to hold a referendum on the Lisbon treaty) seem to have bubbled to the surface.

We shall, of course, leave Europe when it finally breaks up under pressure to please all of the people all of the time.

Bring it on!

- Ted, London

Get the feeling we'll be having a vote on Europe next parliament but it'll be about pulling out of the EU.

- Alan., Wimbledon

Although it would be palatable to many to hold a referendum, 'after the event' so to speak, I cannot help but feel that to do so would cause the UK far more damage in its working relationships with Europe.

The harsh truth is that because of the dire state of the UK economy, the UK needs Europe rather more than Europe needs the UK. To rescind a treaty via a referendum after it has been passed, despite the disgraceful arm twisting etc and of course the legal matter of whether it is a facsimile of the rejected European Constitution, will set the UK at serious odds with Europe and I do not believe the country can afford to do that.

Let it be said though, that for the Labour Government under Blair and Brown, to not uphold its election pledge to hold a referendum was the single biggest act of betrayal of the British people and why the Labour Party should become unelectable for many years to come.

Perhaps that is why the narcissist dictator in chief, Gordon Brown is embarking on his own scorched earth policy before he exits his bunker at Number 10. He cares not for the British people or their views or their best interests as taxpayers

- John, Twickenham

Goodbye Great Britain.

Goodbye England.

Goodbye to everything that 400,000 brave service men and women sacrificed their lives for in WW2.

The sheeple in the UK need to wake up and stop watching rubbish on television.

- Reuben Camara, Plot 1, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR

DD is another "Bring back Maggie" campaigner who conveniently forgets that it was she who was the prime mover in effectively relinquishing political and legal power from the UK to Brussels. What is going on now is the final nails in the coffin that she started building under her Premiership.

- Mark, South-East London

David Cameron is right over this. If Gordon Brown had not been so keen to put his signature to the treaty, the UK could have had it´s referendum. The chance has gone. Now, I´m more interested to read about Tony Blair´s belated bid for the Presidency. He´ll probably get it too, in spite of opposition.

- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands

His pledge to have a referendum on any future treaties is meaningless. Lisbon has a "passerelle" clause which makes it self-modifying and no future treaties will be necessary for the EU to increase its powers.

Promises to "negotiate hard" are also meaningless - the other 26 countries are not going to agree to a complete renegotiation and to get any meagre concessions we would have to have something to offer in return. This is just cosmetic.


- Johnse18, London

Bring back Maggie

- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants

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