mr mogg . breach of contract,honesty along with ethics and morality. how can such words be used when speaking about politicians and government. people in the u.k. seem to have accepted all the garbage verbalised by political parties and accepted it. may i suggest that what is required are a few demonistration of the more "active type". peaceful demonistration dont seem to work .

stephen baron, leith, tasmania

The EU reform treaty/constitution/call it what you like is hardly a question of 'national survival' (think France will be any less French in future? or Ireland Irish? etc...). Clearly, however, you Brits simply don't want to be a part of the European political project. Fine - then get out of the EU entirely and join Norway and Switzerland on the sidelines. You'd be happier, the rest of Europe likewise. To my knowledge, of course, the only major party offering anything like a referendum on the EU is the Lib Dems. Go figure.

As for the British obsession with retaining sovereignty over foreign and defence policy - hadn't you better get that back from the Americans first (before worrying about Brussels)?

M J, Truro, Cornwall,

We now hear the common EU tactic of suffocate all debate in mountains of bureaucratic detail and make Westminster MPs waste time on minutiae, ignoring the fundamental questions at stake. It is a disgrace to any 'democratic' nation that this utterly false imitation of 'debate' is allowed to stifle promised discussion of the major points of transfer of powers, great and small, and the justiciability of the red herring lines.
Hear this O Labour apparachik MPs: you sit in the Commons on the basis of your manifesto promises, and on this particular issue it was crystal clear. You have no valid mandate to deny the people a referendum, and to use the Commons as a Pantomime means you are further debasing and abusing historic democratic processes for your own miserable Party gain only.
Shame on the lot of you - this transcends party politics, and should be a wholly free vote. It is about the system of which MPs are supposed to be trustees.
Stinking fish indeed.

Tim, Oxford, Uk

I think as anyone who has watched and listened to Mr. Brown that he is not concerned about the general long term welfare of the British people, if not then it should be safe to say that he the prime minister Mr. Brown would have nothing to fear in the way of a backlash from the British people should he think that what he has done was in our best interest.

Should the contrary be then found out to be fact that he did not act entirely in our best interest I think that He should resign, one should not forget that when one makes a promise by giving one’s word then one should stand by that, if Mr. Brown goes back on what he has promised he would loose credibility in my eyes at least, I could not trust him to be honest with my vote.

gary, London,

If Britain doesn't want the EU to become more efficient, it could simply go and let other countries to work together. Other europeans would not try to stop Britain. British economy would probably know a recession, but if Britons don't want EU, certainly Europe doesn't need Britain. Britons could stay alone, isolated on their island and let
Other european citizens are fed up with an unefficient Europe that cannot reform because one or two countries don't want.

Ratel Thomas, Brittany, France

Max, your 'tax money' don't make me laugh.

James McKenzie, Lossiemouth, Moray

please alex call a referendem and do the whole country a favour and as a scotsman put right what the other scotsman is doing wrong

gerry, london, England

With reference to that part of the Labour manifesto that you quote, it seems clear that the Labour intentions then were with regard to the acceptance of the electorate. The present situation is clearly the product of a realisation, after the French and Dutch experience, that a referendum approach is a mistake and necessitates a change.
If it is clear, on the balance of the probabilities, that the average voter is not qualified to understand the issues involved in the treaty, as I submit is the case, would you still want a referendum? If so, why?

Henry Percy, London, UK

I fear that Mr Brown does not (along with the EU) care what we mere voters say or do. If Brown is removed from Number 10 that will hold no fear for him as a very well paid sinecure is awaiting within the EU for him.

His ego might be slightly bruised, but his paycheque and ability to weild power over us will continue. Thus, he has nothing lose by resisting our will and handing over more power to the EU.

The only solution is to leave the EU and its self serving gravy train riders.

robbo , London,

To promise the British people a referendum on the European Treaty in the Labour manifesto and then deny us that opportunity when the Treaty is finalised is just not acceptable. We still expect our prime ministers to be honest and truthful, and put the interests of the people above politics. Gordon Brown would be best advised to keep faith with the British people or he will be voted out at the next general election.

Paul, Hampshire, UK

The Prime Minister talks of "red lines", but the letter ´n´ is surplus.

Tim C, Southern England, UK

What is Our Lord Rees-Mogg doing lecturing us on democracy? Who elected him?

Robert, London, UK

Rees-Mogg is right to say we should have a referendum but there it stops.
He says "..(the British people).. think the EU is too centralised, too expensive, too bureaucratic, too remote, that it is insufficiently open, democratic or liberal. The British do not want closer integration, but more independence."
Here we have too many adjectives, too much presupposition and too few facts and too few numbers. Most British people think that their parish council, their county council and the UK government share all these faults. Mr Rees-Mogg should cool his invective and reflect that the EU has ended conflict in Western Europe, permitted a long period of growth and prosperity and managed the collapse of the Sovier regime by the painless absorption of the states of Eastern Europe. These are formidable achievements and entirely in line with British interests. This record can and should be defended before the British public and the perennial argument about our place in the world put to rest.

stephen Bull, fontes, France

The public have I am afraid now reached the point where they do not expect any government to take any notice of their wishes on any major issue. They have no say in the future of the country.

The point in voting is to obtain whatever personal benefit is on offer.

Politicians have the public where they want us - played on a line with the promise of handouts from the growing tax extractions.

Mike Newland, London, England

There's no way out of the referendum pickle.

The Labour manifesto promised one so it ought to happen.

Problem is the result would be to reject the EU treaty and Brown's short premiership would be toast.

By refusing to have one, Brown is only ensuring he gets to be PM for about two more years before he's toast. Who will vote for a party that doesn't honor their manifesto in order to cling to power?

No one, that's who....

Brown's toast either way and the amusing thing about it is that Brown's been around long enough that he shouldn't be making these kind of mistakes, so what's the deal?

However, if the Scots hold a referendum and the treaty is defeated, well, then that result would be almost too delicious to contemplate.

Call the referendum, Alex.

Jim, Milwaukee, USA

As a more-or-less supporter of both Mr Blair and Mr Brown, I am concerned at this bald reneging on a manifesto promise. It is by no means as cut and dried as Sir William and his colleagues at the Daily Mail believe that this referendum would be lost. All the more reason for Mr Brown to stick to his promises and hold it.

Tom, London,

Interesting enough, although it is worth pointing out that under the Scotland Act there is, of course, no requirement whatsoever for the UK Government to consult with either the Scottish Government far less the Scottish people should they decide to sign and ratify an international treaty. We Scots, like the rest of the UK, are subject to the sovereignty of the UK Parliament on this matter. Nice try by Mr Rees-Mogg, but sad to say the Scottish card is a somewhat "shoogly peg" on which to hang the salvation of the British constitution...

Drew, Edinburgh,

To say the manifesto is a "contract" with the British public is absurd. It's cobbled together for an election: I doubt if more than 1 in 100 Labour voters read it, let alone anyone else. Only 38% of the voters voted Labour - if it was a contract the obligation would be not to honour it. No government has ever taken everything in their manifesto as an obligation - they choose want they want and ignore the rest

Richard Outhwaite, Guernsey, Channel Islands

we dont care for nu-labour from what i read in opinions by the public in letters and blogs. but who have we to replace them. that is our problem. the tories are ineffectual weak and the prols show no interest even if they have the chance to vote.
so god help england. scots seem to do well on our tax money
and will have a referadum on the eu const.

max bernstein, london, uk

Anyone fancy organising an EU referendum march in London? A million plus people on the steets of the capital would give Brown pause for thought perhaps? But then again it would probably be banned under the prevention of terrorism laws.

Jon Burgess, Douglas, Isle of Man

I think the Express summed it up the other day with the headline reading..."The Traitor".
Whatever, people thought or said about Blair1, nobody appeared to call him a traitor (although if he had stayed around and followed the current course he's probably have got there!).
The interesting thing will be if the SNP get their referendum and "british" gordo gets to vote in it as an individual in his own constitution... leaving the rest of us without a vote.....

arthur, brighton, sussex

If a government is elected on the basis of a promise in their manifesto, surely there is a LEGAL as well as a moral obligation to carry it out?
There must be some lawyer who can explain what the possible chances are of a legal challenge to this cowardly betrayal of trust.

Patrick, Newcastle, England

With comments like that from N Lee is it any wonder there are people who doubt the wisdom of a referendum. From where I am there is no difference between politicians governing me from Brussels or Westminster whoever is in power.

mike gee, bournemouth, k

If this government does not listen to the people on this issue, then it's time to take to the streets. This is much, much more than a political issue. It is a desperate matter of national survival.

Nicholas Lee, Windsor, UK

Unusual it may be for a prime minister to be 'distrusted and despised by a significant part of the population and regarded essentially as a cheat'. However, we should be used to it by now: we have had ten years experience under the Blair/Brown coalition.

Paul Whitfield, London, UK

There's no point in Brown's promised line by line dissection of the Constitution by parliament - we all know already how that shower are going to vote. They will vote for their jobs

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

Brown's ultimate problem is that he deems us all stupid. And in that he is wrong. Hopefully he will get himself so loathed both within and without parliament, that neither he nor ZaNu Labour will be tolerated again.

Please.

Jeremy Poynton, Fromeville, 51st State

Another collossal lie. Another collossal betrayal. Gordon has learned from the best over the past 10 years and why not. The British people just roll over and say "stick it in again" labour.

Paul, maidenhead, UK

When you mention, "They think the EU is too centralised, too expensive, too bureaucratic, too remote", that's always what we Scots have thought about the corridors of power in London. The problem is if the SNP look for any possible way to create independence by getting into bed with the EU, what if all that does is give up one set of controlled chains for another. I'm all for independence, but not at the expense of our independence.

Lee T Millar, Glasgow, Scotland

Can Brown be impeached?

Henry, London, UK

A copy of this should be sent to all members of paliament.

COLIN , Hong Kong,

Brilliant article as always. The Labour & Liberals are moving
in the opposite direction of the British people over Europe.
sooner or later this must have electoral consequences.
The SNP could be the winners in Scotland and the Tories in
England. For along time the vast majority of people were
disenfranchised over Europe, with only fringe parties to speak
for them. But now everyone can clearly see that the European
Union is starting to resemble the old Soviet system, and the
Tories quite rightly can now see that Britain in that, will not be
able to compete in a world moving the other way. The only
way to keep the British people in this emerging Soviet
European Union is by lies, deception and ultimately force.
We are so mentally unsuited to this system, as our whole
history has been one of fighting for freedom against tyranny.



unsuited to this system as our whole
history has been one of fighting for freedom

Philip, Dorset, England

Hear hear, and more power to the Scots on behalf of all of us, the Irish too since they will have the referendum we will be denied. Once more Mr Brown is being too clever by half with his talk of red lines and standing up for Britain but not nearly clever enough. The British people see through him. We want you to consult us, not patronise us Mr Brown. If you don't then I can guarantee that you will not get away with it. I and many others will not forget this betrayal, this cynicism and casuistry from the man who promised us an end to spin and a big tent across politics. The honeymoon is well and truly over. Prepare for a very rough ride.

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK