Daily Mirror columnist turns on Brown

The following is a quote from an article appearing in the staunchly Labour paper the Daily Mirror, linked here: There were only ever two arguments against a referendum on the EU treaty. One - it is not the same as the EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters. Two - Gordon Brown had secured "red lines", on the treaty ensuring sovereign British rights were protected. They were the only arguments against a referendum, as Labour specifically promised a referendum on the EU constitution in its 2005 election manifesto. "It's actually not a constitution and, even if it was, we have secured clever little opt-out clauses. So there." But both those arguments disintegrated last week when the Labour-dominated House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee reported that, "the Reform Treaty produces a general framework which is substantially equivalent to the Constitutional Treaty," and in reality those clever little red lines would "leak like a sieve". The treaty Brown will be urged to sign in Lisbon means we would lose even more sovereignty and 60 powers of veto. The European Court would stick its snout into all manner of British affairs, from foreign policy to welfare. It would mean even deeper integration with Europe, which the majority of British people simply do not want. Gordon Brown has stood his ground against Brussels before. He is the only reason you are not walking around with Monopoly money in your pocket. Now he has to fight for Britain like never before. Gordon Brown ducked an election because he thought he might lose it. That is fine. But he simply does not have the option to duck a referendum on the EU treaty because he thinks he might lose.