UK likely to delay ratification of EU constitution

The new European constitution is not expected to be endorsed by parliament until early next year in a new signal that Tony Blair wants to delay confronting public scepticism.

The bill to ratify the constitutional treaty and pave the way for a referendum was not now expected to become law until December or January. The legislation will be published this week or next. But Foreign Office officials had originally been pressing for the bill to have its first reading before Christmas so it would reach the statute book before the general election expected in May.

The referendum is expected to be held in May or June next year. The bill will include the text of the question to be put to voters.

As the Financial Times revealed last month, the question is expected to be: Should the United Kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union?

Neil O'Brien, campaign director of Vote No, the anti-constitution lobby, said his supporters would be using the parliamentary focus to tease out the issues.

Source: Financial Times