By Anna McLauchlin - 10th May 2004
Britain will back an EU constitution in a referendum as long as the UK's demands are met, according to a senior and eurosceptic government minister.
UK finance minister Gordon Brown is confident London can win a vote if Britain secures 'red line' issues in constitution talks.
"If we secure a treaty that is successful for Britain.....I believe we can successfully put it to the British people," he told journalists at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday.
Brown stressed he did not want to "isolate" Britain from Europe. The UK, he said, is gaining support for its firm line on tax, defence and social security.
"We believe we are winning support for our position, not only from new member states but also from the other members of the EU," he insisted.
Britain is seeking to ensure any future EU laws in these areas are subject to national vetoes rather than via a majority decision-making procedure presented in the current draft.
Brown also told journalists other member states are backing the six countries which have so far refused to accept a draft EU budget to run from 2007.
"We are gaining support", he said.
Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, France and the UK penned a letter of complaint to the European Commission demanding a one per cent of EU GNI cap on national contributions to the budget.
The "irresponsible, unjustified and unacceptable" draft - which puts the cap at 1.14 per cent of GNI - will not be a basis for negotiations, Brown said.
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