Protest at British parliament over new EU treaty

By IRNA

London : Protesters, opposed to the new EU reform treaty, scaled a crane outside the British parliament Monday, demanding a national referendum on the treaty signed in Lisbon last December.


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The male campaigners were reported to have unfurled banners from the crane early morning demanding a ‘Referendum Now’ and ‘Give Us Our Vote.’

The demonstration comes two days before MPs are set to vote on an opposition Conservative amendment to the EU Treaty Bill, calling for a referendum on the issue.

It also comes after the campaign group I Want a Referendum held a mini-ballot of more than 150,000 people from 10 constituencies across the UK that found 88 per cent voted in favour of a national poll.

The British government led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown has rejected calls for a referendum on the new treaty after previously pledging to hold one for the rejected EU constitutional treaty, which it replaced.

Ministers have argued that the new treaty is different from the failed constitutional one. But this has been disputed by several parliamentary committees reporting that there are similarities.

All 27 EU countries have to ratify the treaty before it can come into force. So far, only Ireland has announced it will hold a referendum because of its own constitutional obligations.

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