Britain today shelved plans to hold a referendum on the European Union's troubled constitution, dealing another blow to a treaty already rejected by French and Dutch voters.
British foreign secretary Jack Straw told parliament the rejection of the charter in France and the Netherlands had cast its future into doubt, so the government was putting enabling legislation to hold a vote on ice until after EU leaders discussed the way forward at a summit next week.
“We reserve completely the right to bring back the bill providing for a UK referendum should circumstances change. But we see no point in proceeding at this moment,” Mr Straw said. “It is not for the UK alone to decide the future of the treaty.“
While theoretically reversible, the British decision ran counter to a plea by EU heavyweights France and Germany at the weekend for all other member states to continue the ratification process despite the French and Dutch “No” votes.
EU leaders played down the British move and avoided direct criticism of London.
French European Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna, speaking just before Mr Straw's announcement, said: “It's a question of democracy. It's not for one member of the EU to decide for the others, or to block the process of ratification of a treaty signed by 25 countries.“
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said it was up to each member state to decide how and when to ratify the text, but he did not believe Britain or any other country had taken a “definitive decision” not to do so.
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the British decision meant the charter was not dead.