Richard Spring MP
Member of Parliament for West Suffolk

Oh what a lovely war! The battle over the Lisbon Treaty went in an exactly opposite direction from what was expected. One or two Tories voted with the Government, largely because of opposition in principle to referendums; there was a reasonably sizeable Labour revolt but… the Liberal Democrats, oh dear! This is the most universally pro-federalist party which drowned in a sea of confusion and contradiction.

Conservative MPs were sent a bizarre email by Nick Clegg, which was the source of immense mirth. You see little groups of Liberal Democrat MPs in a huddle in the corridors of the Commons, not exactly looking ecstatic. Nick Clegg and the word blancmange seem to go together.

Liberal Democrat supporters have an admirable concern for civil rights and for devolved government, and often have a developed social conscience. Lions like this appear to be led by donkeys.

As I reflect on this week, one can only speculate as to what misjudgements the donkeys will make next. It has all been so unexpected.

As they say in Suffolk ‘The last vicar was the best vicar!’ Come back Ming/ Charlie/ Paddy… all is forgiven!

Yesterday was an exceptionally busy day in the Commons chamber. There were Government statements on both Northern Rock and the loss of a laptop with details of 600,000 people on it. And the EU Reform Treaty started its marathon progress through Parliament. Yet the Prime Minister, who refused to sign the EU Treaty in front of the cameras, was nowhere to be seen. Nor was Nick Clegg. 

The EU Reform Treaty could cause some considerable damage to the Prime Minister over the upcoming weeks. Many Labour MPs are rebelling. The Labour dominated Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee has published a damning report. Its conclusion; there is little or no difference between the EU Reform Treaty and the old constitution. 

In Europe, the manner in which Gordon Brown signed the EU Reform Treaty has not gone unnoticed by our European partners. He is likely to have lost influence in Brussels because of it. 

The British people continue to get more irritated by the conduct of the Government. Labour’s election manifesto said there would be a referendum on the Constitution. Yet Gordon Brown took it on himself to agree to the renamed EU constitution without letting the British people have their say. British voters will not forget this in a hurry. In effect, Gordon Brown is in the worst of all worlds. 

William Hague made one of the most brilliant speeches I have ever heard in the Commons. David Miliband looked very uncomfortable indeed, and all the Liberal Democrats did was attack the Tories. 

This was on a day which saw one of the steepest falls in the history of the London Stock Exchange. 

Northern Rock, the EU constitution, terrible overspending by the Government, and a poor stock market….. just keep watching the polls. 

It was very interesting to be in the Chamber yesterday to witness Gordon Brown’s attempt to defend his stance on the EU Reform Treaty. We heard a lot of waffle about competitiveness, prosperity, climate change and jobs as if it were these issues that were at the forefront of the agenda discussed in Portugal last weekend. They were clearly not.

What was extraordinary was the relative silence in which Gordon Brown was heard. The problem is that successive Governments have not been truthful with the British people on the subject of Europe. There is nothing wrong in comprehensively debating the right and wrongs of the EU but it must be based on truth. Time and time again, we have been told of triumphal negotiations that will defend British national interests yet this is in total contrast to the views of our European neighbours about the very same meeting!

I saw this problem highlighted yesterday. Nobody believes the so called red lines will hold given the opinions of most EU leaders and the way in which the red lines will inevitably be contested in the courts. It will  be some time before we see how the courts will judge these red lines but history shows us that they are unlikely to be sustained.

That is why Gordon Brown’s statement had such an unenthusiastic reaction from his own side in the Chamber yesterday. We have been here so often before. 

Yesterday, Gordon Brown arrived in Lisbon with other EU leaders for his first European summit to discuss the revival of the Constitution. Rejected by both France and the Netherlands, our PM has made sure this result will not be repeated in the UK by denying the British people a say.

His attempt to kill off any kind off a Treaty referendum has not duped the British people. Opinion polls show that only 6% of voters believe the Government’s argument that the Reform Treaty is different to the EU Constitution. He is yet to even convince his own side.

This Treaty has significant consequences for Britain’s ability to make its own laws in vital areas including health and tax and to pursue our own foreign policy. The European Court of Justice would become superior to our own judiciary. The opt-outs and ‘red lines’ which the Government will claim it has secured are already crumbling and, investigated by a cross-party group of MPs, revealed as likely to be ineffective.

We can look forward to reports of how hard our PM is fighting for our interests. But the reality will be much different. He is preparing the ground to cave in.

The PM’s argument will be based on the hotly disputed claim that the document he’s about to sign is different from the original Constitution. Yet detailed analysis has found that the two documents are 96% similar. The only substantive differences are the removal of the word ‘constitution’ and the scrapping of symbols such as an anthem. Every other European leader (except for Gordon Brown) agrees.

Gordon Brown began his reign as Prime Minister claiming he wanted to listen and trust the people. Up to now he has failed. But by sticking by his 2005 manifesto promise of a referendum and letting the British people have the final say, our PM could start to rebuild trust, which is now sadly lacking, with the people of Britain.