Straw defends European stance

Mr Straw: EU defence cooperation will not undermine Nato

Claims that the new European constitution would undermine the UK's independence are "frankly absurd", Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has told MPs.

Standing in for the prime minister in the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Straw also insisted European Union defence operations would not undermine Nato.

The Conservatives said the US Administration were outraged by the EU's common defence and security plans.

Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said the draft constitution would bring "fundamental changes" to the way the UK is governed, as he renewed Tory calls for a referendum on the issue.

Referendum?

Mr Blair was due to give the Commons statement about the summit but has been ordered by doctors to rest after his heart scare on Sunday.

The prime minister's spokesman had suggested, during the summit talks, there could be a referendum in theory if the government's key "red lines" were crossed.

But Mr Blair later issued a statement saying: "There will not be a referendum."

Mr Straw accused the Tory frontbench of being "obsessed" with the draft constitution when it did not fundamentally shift the relationship between the EU and the UK.

In fact, it strengthened the powers of independent nation states, he said.

The foreign secretary said the government wanted a "strong Europe and a strong Nato".

It made sense for European forces to undertake military operations where Nato did not want to get involved, argued Mr Straw.

But it should not "unrealistically" try to provide a defence guarantee for the EU.