GEORGE CAREY, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, today enters the politically charged debate on Europe for the first time by backing the demands for a referendum on the proposed constitution.

In a letter to The Times Lord Carey of Clifton, who in keeping with past primates of the Church of England has stayed out of party politics, argues that the planned changes to the EU are too important to be left to politicians alone to decide. The intervention of Lord Carey, who left Lambeth Palace last year, will increase the pressure on Tony Blair, who has resisted calls from the Tories and Liberal Democrats to hold a national vote.

Other signatories include Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, the Chief of Defence Staff during the war in Afghanistan, Sir John Weston, a former Ambassador to the United Nations and Nato, and Sir David Lees, the chairman of GKN and Tate & Lyle.

Lord Guthrie was so highly regarded by the Prime Minister that he was sent to Pakistan as a personal envoy to try to cement the support of President Musharaf for the war in Afghanistan.

The letter reads: “The new European constitution raises questions of profound importance. Several other countries are planning to put the issue to a popular vote. The people of Britain should also be informed and consulted on an issue with such far-reaching implications.”

The signatories are backing the Vote 2004 group, which was set up by opponents of Britain’s further integration into Europe to run a campaign to force the Government to grant a referendum on the proposed European constitution.

Neil O’Brien, campaign director of Vote 2004, said: “The names on the Times letter indicate the sheer range of people willing to speak out. I fully expect more leading figures from the Church to speak out. This is not just about politicians. It is about people who want the right to speak.”

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