Top Tory 'lets cat out of bag' over stalled EU treaty

UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage says Tory party grandee Ken Clarke has "let the cat out of the bag" over the stalled Lisbon treaty.

It comes after Clarke, the party's business spokesman, insisted on TV at the weekend that the treaty would survive if all member states succeed in ratifying it before the new UK general election.

This appears to rule out the possibility of a UK referendum on the treaty if it has been approved if and when the Tories win power.

However, a Tory party spokesman appeared to contradict Clarke's position by saying they would "not let matters rest" if the document is signed by the time of a Tory government.

"We would regard political integration as having gone too far," said the spokesman.

The Irish are expected to be asked to vote on the treaty for a second time in the autumn. If it results in a 'yes' vote, that is expected to pave the way for the treaty to come into force by January 2010.

Responding to Clarke's comments, Farage said, "Clarke has let the cat out of the bag. The Tories have no intention of holding a referendum on the treaty."

Eurosceptic Tory MP Bill Cash said, "It appears Clarke has reinvented unilaterally Tory party policy on Europe. It is essential we have a referendum on the treaty irrespective of the Irish vote and this is supported by a very substantial number of Tory MPs."

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