Don't Be Fooled

Helpful bunch the European Scrutiny Committee. Their report on the European Reform Treaty questions, perhaps even undermines, just about all the government’s main claims for that controversial text.

So begins Mark Mardell's assessment of the verdict of MPs that the European Treaty is "substantially equivalent" to the previously rejected constitution.

Call me over-cynical but, given that Labour MPs make up the majority on the cross-party committee, unless Gordon Brown has completely lost control, I suspect the report's much-trumpeted calls for "concrete evidence" will pave the way for the Prime Minister to return from next week's Lisbon Council claiming that he has provided the necessary evidence to satisfy the European Scrutiny Committee, that our "red line" opt-outs remain intact, and that we need no longer fear any "further erosion of transparency and accountability" as he has secured the requested safeguards against the "ratchet clause." In sum, that there is therefore no need for a referendum.