By Brian Johnson - 30th May 2005
The UK is ready to ditch its plans to hold a referendum on the EU constitution, if as widely expected, the Netherlands follows France and fails to ratify the treaty on Wednesday.
A ‘nee’ by the Dutch on Wednesday will likely sound the death knell for the treaty.
But Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to hold back on any announcement until EU leaders meet at a Brussels summit on June 16-17.
Blair does not want to be seen as making the first move to kill off the troubled treaty, or to tread on sensitive toes as he looks to gather support for the UK’s six month stint in charge of the EU Presidency.
The British prime minister chose his words carefully on Monday, calling for a “period of reflection” after the French result.
“If there is a constitutional treaty to vote on, we will have a vote in Britain before ratifying it. But we have to see what happens in the Dutch referendum,” said Blair.
Foreign minister, Jack Straw is set to address the UK parliament next Monday, though officials have backtracked on earlier suggestions that Straw would announce to MPs that the UK referendum would be scrapped.
But former EU Commissioner Lord Kinnock said that EU leaders must now accept that the constitution was now dead and warned that attempts to press on with the treaty would only further alienate the EU.
“I understand why they emphasise the need for a period of reflection…but that reflection can only come sensibly to one conclusion,” said Kinnock in a radio interview.
“Referendums produce results and results have got to be lived with and any impression given that somehow the result of the referendum in France or maybe tomorrow in the Netherlands can be set aside… is mistaken.”
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