Blair defends EU blueprint

Giscard d'Estaing chaired the European convention

The controversial European Union constitution will be "good for Britain and good for Europe", Tony Blair has insisted.

He said that the existing text of the draft treaty was "not perfect" but said that after further negotiations it would result in a more effective EU which promoted "the national and the patriotic interest".

Mr Blair's comments came in a foreword to the Government's White Paper giving the UK's formal response to the draft treaty drawn up by Valery Giscard d'Estaing's European Convention.

The plans have been criticised by the Conservatives as effectively the creation of a federal United States of Europe - and they have demanded a referendum be held on the issue.

Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram declared, in the House of Commons: "This is not so much a White Paper but a white flag."

Mr Blair dismissed the arguments for a referendum, insisting the treaty would not alter the "fundamental constitutional relationship" between Britain and the EU and would not create a "federal superstate".

DRAFT CONSTITUTION Replace rotating EU presidency with full time president Nations' weighted votes based entirely on population Possible for certain countries to have more defence cooperation Decide some foreign policy, tax and immigration issues by majority vote, not veto Legally binding charter of rights National parliaments have say on whether law plans should be tackled at EU level New EU foreign minister Analysis: Battle resumes over constitution Saatchi says Germany could outvote UK

The modernisation of EU structures was "essential" to ensure it continued to run smoothly once the 10 new members joined next May, he said.

Mr Blair laid down the "red lines" that the UK will not accept in the final treaty - anything that removed the power of nation states to determine their own tax, defence and foreign policies.

"The Convention text spells out that the EU is a union of nation states and that it only has those powers which governments have chosen to confer upon it," writes Mr Blair.

"It is not and will not be a federal superstate.

"The text is not perfect. Like many other member states, there are some points in the Convention text which we will want to examine in more detail," added Mr Blair.

Veto claims

The draft treaty will be the subject of months of hard bargaining by member states when it is discussed at a rolling Inter Governmental Conference which starts in Rome in October.

Later Foreign Secretary Jack Straw gave more details of the government's response in a statement on the issue to MPs in the Commons.

The white paper is the first complete British statement on the European convention's proposals since they were finalised in July.

Mr Straw said the EU would "turn into gridlock" if it did not consolidate existing treaties and "streamline" its 50 year old mechanisms to prepare for its expansion to 25 members.

The UK would insist on keeping a veto on changes to the constitution itself, on issues of tax, social security, defence, major areas of criminal law and common, foreign and security policy.

Straw says there will be no fundamental constitutional changes

He said a referendum should only be used in situations where Britain is joining or leaving an institution, like the EU.

"The proposals in the current draft treaty do not change the fundamental relationship between the EU and its members states ... The government has therefore concluded that the right place to decide on any outcome of the IGC is here in this House and in Parliament," he told MPs.

He added: "To turn our backs on the union at this historic time would not only be to betray our national interest, but it would mark a profound lack of confidence in Britain and everything we stand for."

However, Mr Ancram continued to argue for a referendum, stressing that Mr Straw and Mr Blair were the only people who believed this was a "tidying up exercise".

He described the white paper as a "cynical exercise", designed to "soften up" the British public for the adoption of the constitution and which showed the government "cannot be trusted anymore".

"Why is this government so frightened of trusting the people? Whatever the spin, the changes proposed in this draft treaty are fundamental and constitutional."

Talks ahead

The inter-governmental conference for negotiating the future shape of the EU will begin on 4 October.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell said the white paper should clearly set out the parameters for the negotiations.

Vote 2004, the group set up to campaign for a referendum, has published an ICM poll suggesting that 82% think there should be a referendum - with 9% saying there should not be.

Former Labour minister Frank Field, co-chairman of Vote 2004, said the poll suggested the group that least trusted the government were its core voters.

"To rebuild trust we should offer a referendum," said Mr Field.