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Lord Kinnock, the former Labour leader, agreed, insisting that any delay would leave Britain “on the sidelines”.

Last night José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, congratulated Britain on the parliamentary approval of the Lisbon Treaty saying that the endorsement proved that “it is still a living document”.

Constitution countdown

June 2004 After a year of debate, EU leaders reach agreement on a European Constitution, creating new posts of EU President and Foreign Minister, replacing previous treaties, centralising power and limiting national vetoes

May 2005 Labour’s general election manifesto promises of Europe’s constitution: “We will put it to the British people in a referendum”

Later that month Voters in France, one of the EU’s founding states, reject the constitution

June 2005 Dutch voters also reject the constitution, killing it off before any referendum is held in the UK. By this stage 14 countries had ratified it, including Italy and Spain

March 2007 Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, revives the project as a slimmer constitutional treaty, amending rather than overriding previous treaties. She begins a campaign to have it ratified in a year without national referendums

June 2007 EU leaders agree main points of the treaty at Tony Blair’s final summit as Prime Minister

December 2007 Gordon Brown signs the treaty in Lisbon, despite arriving late to the ceremony

February 2008 France ratifies the treaty

March 2008 The House of Commons votes to approve the treaty by a majority of 140 after twelve days of debate

June 2008 Voters in Ireland’s referendum reject the treaty. EU leaders insist ratification process should continue. House of Lords completes parliamentary approval

Source: Times archive; Agencies

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