British parliament backs EU treaty

Britain's parliament gave a first thumbs-up to the EU constitution yesterday in an early test of the political mood ahead of a potentially career-threatening referendum for Prime Minister Tony Blair next year.

The ruling Labour Party's large majority in parliament's lower house ensured approval of a preliminary bill to ratify the treaty by 345 votes to 130, despite protestations from the opposition that it will lead to a federal European superstate.

The bill faces other parliamentary stages in coming months. The high level of Labour support should ensure its passage there. But convincing a sceptical public will be another story.

Mr Blair is on track to win an election he is expected to call for May this year. But rejection of the treaty in a referendum, expected next year, would undermine his authority and make a mockery of his pledge to put Britain at the heart of Europe.

Most polls show a majority of Britons oppose the treaty and a 'No' vote could even force Mr Blair out of office, analysts say.

The government says the treaty is in London's interests and rejection of it would leave Britain out in the cold.

"We'd be left without influence, out on the margins with no say in Europe's future direction. So the choice is this: strength for Britain or isolation and weakness," Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told parliament before the vote.

The opposition Conservative Party and influential section of the media are against the treaty, saying it hands control of policy to Brussels and will undermine British sovereignty.

"This bill is certainly not the inoffensive measure which the government would have us believe," the Conservatives' Michael Ancram said in a debate in parliament. "It is a thicket full of rats. And the biggest rat is the constitution itself."

The public can choose between a government "hell bent on giving Brussels more control over our lives and the Conservative Party which will reverse that conveyor belt," he added.

While one poll by Populus for The Times newspaper yesterday showed 36 per cent of people in favour of the treaty versus 29 per cent who oppose it, most previous surveys have pointed to a majority against signing up.