What mandate has our 'Prime Minister-elect' got from the British electorate to hand any powers to the EU ? Who precisely elected him ? Infact he was nominated - not elected ! Brown is the product of the 'divine right of Parliament''. What a hideous mess our democracy is in !

Made worse by this erosion of our rights. Our rights we obtained over centuries and now handover as if valueless. For what ? Perhaps peace ? Prosperity ? A better world ? A world in which the few - the self righteous elite - determine what is right and wrong. And do so in our name !

The 'Prime Minister-elect' will do well to remember when he sold our gold reserves how few Euros he got back in return !! And then look again at our freedoms and democracy and ask what value are these !!

David, Swindon, Wiltshire

Referendum?

Who's going to read the blasted thing?

The outcome of the referendum will be entirely based on The Sun's page two summary.

The new power blocs of the 21st century are forming, time to jump in and have our say!

Mark, Woking, UK

"pragmatic, liberal tam which will steer Europe in the coming years"
If ever I have heard a threat then that is it!
A team not elected by the British people and who have done nothing for us except tie us in bureaucracy, take money and dictate laws which our own gutless politicians allow through.
Government, in its present form, is becoming an overwhelmingly incompetent and expensive big brother. Government's insidious encroachment upon our liberties is far more worrying in the long term than the war on terror.

Minnie Ovens, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Most of the projects envisaged in the Constitution have already been put in place, stealthily and by subterfuge, in accordance with our unelected master's preference, and are only awaiting the instruction to "go".
Merkel will now incorporate them into a document to be called a "Treaty", allowing our out-going Prime Minister to sign - in all good faith - without the need for a referendum. Ensuring that his last act in this role is to hand over this Island to our erstwhile enemies, bound and gagged and helpless. Is'nt this what used to be called treason?

David Allinson, Oxford,

I'm French and I understand your reactions. Let's face the truth; the enlargement of EU is NOT working. I do regret the time when we were just the 12 of us.

BT, Caversham, Berkshire

I think you are mistaken when you include Sarkozy in the list of enthusiasts. He is on record as saying that control of the Euro exchange rate must be more under political control, and he wants much less in a European Constitution that does Merkel. By all accounts his first meeting with Merkel was a little chilly, although they put a brave face on it for the Press.

If you think about it, Sarkozy simply does not have the luxury of being a Euro-enthusiast at present. The excessive exchange rate of the Euro is killing off France's exports, and some of France's export markets are being taken up by Germany, which is still by far the more efficient economy.

If I were Gordon Brown, I'd be all smiles as I waited for the wheels to come off the Paris-Berlin axle.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/US

It is amazing how English people keep complaining about the European bureaucracy when the British one was always the envy of the world (and always unelected). At the same time they do not feel the obligation to take part in the elections of their own countrly (just look how many people voted in the last elections).
The benefits of the european union outweigh any negatives. Rejection of a constitution or treaty should be a separate issue from the support we all should give to the European Union, the single most successful international organization - just look of the standard of living we have in the continent comparable with the US or any other part of the world. Problems yes but
at least British people should recognise the success of EU so far.

Basil, Cambridge,

As an outsider, the purpose of the EU has never been clear to me beyond a nebulous sense of solidarity. The UK is the only country in Europe willing and able to exert "hard power" beyond its own borders, and the only one with legal and diplomatic ties as strong as the Commonwealth and the US relationship. As such, the UK should not settle for anything less than the leadership role in drafting the EU constitution as a Federal, common law system with limited powers and clearly defined foreign policy goals. So long as the EU project is to establish a regulatory state usurping its members' autonomy over their internal affairs, it will never develop beyond an economic pact.

Mike, Pittsburgh,

Since it is an open secret that Angela Merkel is intent on railroading through a draft EU Constitution by any other name it is imperative that the British public is consulted.
The Prime Minister will not be forgiven if the Country is denied a referendum.
We should not sleep walk into a European Superstate merely because the word "Constitution has been omitted.

Arthur Parkinson, barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

If the EU and its constitution are such a good idea, why are our politicians so afraid of putting it to the test with a referendum on continued membership? We are supposed to live in a democracy yet we, the British people, have not been allowed to have a say on any of these treaties. It is an absolute disgrace. Wilson, Heath, Thatcher, Major and Blair are all traitors for bargaining away our inalienable sovereignty.

Adrian Gilbert, Tonbridge, England

"exemptions on justice and constitutional affairs"

Which have what exactly to do with a free Market area? Which lets be honest, is the only thing anyone ever got a chance to vote for? Anything else added to that subsequently, Britain should withdraw from.

Harry Xander, Derby, UK

I would like to know when the British people will get a say in our future within the EU. The people of continental Europe seem to have more say as well as information. However, in the event of any referendum, I think Britain should vote selfishly as France did by voting out the so-called European Constitution. It has always been a suprise to me that France, having one of the founding fathers - Jean Monet - should have voted against it. But the French voted to protect itself from liberalisation. Should not we, the British people, be given the same opportunity or will we contantly be told what is good for our nation by the politicians? We pay in to the coffers enough money to have a say.

Ian Varey, Salford, UK

The only problem we have is that the socialists (including Brown et al) don't understand that their "control freak" attitude is the biggest barrier to any European constitution. No-one trusts them. The US constitution, by contrast, was born of an attempt to harness oppression by limiting the power of government to those functions strictly necessary. Even then, a major civil conflict was necessary to stabilise the country. Their constitution has survived, with caveats added only as necessary, for over two hundred years.
What chance do we actually have of a European constitution that seeks to establish people's rights instead of politicians powers? Unless that happens, my vote is anti - and will remain so.

KR, Stockport,

To Ena Straus, Brussels, if greater integration is not sreversed now, when the European Socialist Republic eventually breaks up it will make Iraq look like a wallk in the park.

David Ashton, Warrington, UK

Sarkozy, Merkel, liberals?

Robin Tudge, London,

Am I the only one to find such ignorant euro-scepticism irritating?
Comments on the EU usually include wild accusations that we have surrendered our souls to a nameless, faceless bureaucracy.
Well it is true that we have surrendered a portion of Parliamentary sovereignty. It is also true that this has brought unquestionable benefits. These benefits are mostly in the form of the dismantling of boundaries across the EU: free labour movement, and the dismantling of protectionism. There is also the EU anti-competition law, which is broadly the substantive law of the EU.
To ignore the benefits of the EU is ignorant.
Really it is a form of wild-scaremongering. It has its roots as England being an outsider in Europe. But we should get over ourselves. We need the EU.

OLIVER, Oxford, UK

'Pragmatic' is used here as a good thing. Pragmatism is neurosis and means dealing with problems when they are current rather than forseeing them while they are still in the future and dealing with them earlier. Obviously future problems are easier and cheaper to solve.

So a pragmatic EU government will be a liability.

It could be worse, they could be psychotic and wait till it is too late to solve their problems and so be overwhelmed by them. No chance of the Euro collapsing is there?

Brian Gilbert, HAMPTON, Middx

Forget the EU constitution - what about a British constitution, drafted, debated, and WRITTEN? It is at least 250 years overdue.

Jeremy Wickins MA, LLB, Sheffield, UK

Eda Straus; How many will die due to an EU Constitution? Truthfully, this week none. But in time a great many. It will be the precursor for the introduction of a new round of European war. Even discounting the current political appetite in Europe for a flexing of new found muscle around the world. And for no other reason. A huge state, devoid of democracy and with leaders lacking accountability; I think we can look forward to the self control and free society enabled by such similar regimes as the Soviet Union or Moa's China.

EyeSee, MK,

I suspect what is actually happening here is that the failed European Constitution of 2004 is being re-hashed and will be driven through without the promised vote, simply because it is know by another name. If Gordon Brown allows this to happen he will never be forgiven by the British people and will never be elected as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

simon daglish, London, Lonon

Eda Struass wonders how many people will die because of a new European treaty. Well, if it is anything like as harmful as the treaty which intruduced the CAP (or those which failed to remove it) then people will be dying in their millions.

Matthew Kirkwood, London,

Whenever I hear of a politician telling us that the new bit of paper they are signing with the EU will have no real effect on Britain I have a feeling of impending doom.Everytime they say this,somehow a little bit more power drains away to the bureaucrats in Brussels,we pay more,and find that we have no real say in it.
Before we sign anything we should at least say that we will not sign until the accounts of the EU are passed and any fraudulent activity will be taken to court.

Nigel Wheatcroft, wimbledon, U.K.

I too want a referendum.

On everything to do with Europe: The Euro; The constitution:
and membership in general.

At 42 years old I have never had a vote on any of these things.

Britain would leave the European Soviet Union after such a vote (hooray).

Andrew Munn, Bangkok, Thailand

"A new European Constitution will be a bigger problem for Brown than Iraq and Afghanistan"... I wonder how many people will die because of a new European treaty. Honestly.

Eda Straus, Brussels, Belgium

The British will live to regret their last surrender of sovereignty by joining the European Socialist Government. Imagine forever being out voted and told what to do by bunch of countries with their associated bureaucrats who have never been able to manage themselves.

Just think of how the ridiculous regulations will increase enslaving British citizen. What ever happened to the spirit of; “Britons never, never shall be slaves”?

C. Christopher Sirr, Warwick, Rhode Island, USA

No concessions of any kind to Europe without a Referendum. Cameron would regain my vote if he publicly stated this now. But alas I am not holding my breath!

John Lee, Bexhill On Sea, United Kingdom

"A new European Constitution will be a bigger problem for Brown than Iraq and Afghanistan"... I wonder how many people will die because of a new European treaty. Honestly.

Eda, Brussels, Belgium