Nick Robinson reports on a change of Conservative thinking on the subject of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
"David Cameron's "cast-iron guarantee" to Sun readers of a Euro referendum expires, I'm told, once there is no further chance of stopping the Lisbon Treaty. In its place comes a different cast-iron guarantee of a new law to force any future government to put any future EU treaty to a popular vote."
Firstly, Article 3.4 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) states "The Union shall establish an economic and monetary union whose currency is the euro." Regardless of what any future UK government may wish, one way or another, this country will be forced, at some time in the future, to adopt the euro.
Secondly, it is generally accepted that the Lisbon Treaty is a self-amending treaty and as a result the requirement for any future treaty is negated. Therefore the promise of a referendum on any future treaty is as meaningless as Cameron's previous 'cast-iron gurantees'!
The longer the Conservative Party continue to obfuscate and prevaricate on stating their policy in respect of this country's membership of the EU, the bigger the hole they create for themselves.
Time to stop digging now, David?
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