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Foreign Affairs and Defence

I am conscious that the right hon. Gentleman was a member of the Convention and has some expertise in these matters. Let me quote the Prime Minister, who said on 18 April 2005:"““I’ve always said we’ll have a vote on the constitution. It doesn’t matter what other countries do; we’ll have a vote on the constitution.””" The confidence with which we advanced the case for the constitutional treaty has been reflected in some of the commentary from the other side of the channel. The French newspaper Le Monde called the treaty ““a British victory””. The Corriere della Sera in Italy declared that"““the British won the day””," and Laurent Fabius, leader of the French no campaign, says that"““the British concept has won””." Indeed, those in this country who peddle the idea that the treaty is the end of Britain as we know it would do well to look across the channel where, at the moment, its opponents are arguing that the treaty is too British and too liberal—in short, too much a model of an Anglo-Saxon European Union. As the House is aware, the Government will be introducing legislation, as a matter of priority, to provide for a referendum on the treaty, and I welcome the discussions we shall have.