British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Tuesday he will call a British referendum on the European Union’s Constitution, confirming an abrupt reversal of his previous adamant opposition to such a vote.
No date was announced for the referendum, which will follow some months after the conclusion of a treaty and debate in Parliament.
Blair said the referendum question will be on the treaty, ”but the implications go far wider”.
”It is time to resolve once and for all whether this country, Britain, wants to be at the centre and heart of European decision-making or not; time to decide whether our destiny lies as a leading partner and ally of Europe, or on its margins,” Blair said in the House of Commons.
Blair’s U-turn, the most significant since he came to power in 1997, follows months of pressure by the main opposition Conservative Party, which claims the treaty will undermine Britain’s sovereignty.
Several national newspapers have also taken up the call for a referendum.
”Blair’s EU humiliation,” the Daily Mail‘s front-page headline said on Tuesday.
The government had argued against a national poll, insisting that the Constitution, which aims to streamline decision making in the EU, will not fundamentally alter Britain’s relationship with the bloc.
The reversal in allowing the first nationwide poll since 1975 is a sign that Blair’s authority has eroded. Since the Iraq war, Blair’s personal ratings have slumped and he is struggling to regain public trust. — Sapa-AP
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