Britain to press on with EU treaty ratification

By Katherine Baldwin

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will press ahead with parliamentary ratification of the European Union's reform treaty despite Ireland's 'No' vote, the government said on Friday.

Irish voters rejected the treaty in a referendum held on Thursday, imperiling EU reform plans and humiliating Ireland's political elite.

The result gives fresh ammunition to Britain's vocal euroskeptics and keeps a difficult issue for Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the spotlight when he is already grappling with record-low popularity ratings and a flagging economy.

"The Irish government have made clear they believe it's right for countries like Britain to continue the ratification process because there needs to be a British view as well as an Irish view," Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

"So I believe it's right that we continue with our own process and take up the Irish offer of further discussions about the next steps forward," he told reporters.

Britain's position on the treaty is important because some EU governments fear that if Brown halts ratification other countries such as the Czech Republic and Sweden would follow.

The Irish vote -- the only referendum on the treaty in the EU -- sparked calls from politicians and campaign groups for Brown to halt ratification or hold a British referendum.

"It is the height of arrogance for Gordon Brown and our government to press ahead with ratifying this treaty, flying in the face of public opinion," said David Cameron, leader of the main opposition Conservative Party.

"If this is not dead, we must be able to have the referendum in this country so we have the chance to pass judgment on this treaty and to put the final nail in its coffin."

Parliament's final vote on the treaty is expected next week.

"It would be tantamount to electoral suicide for Gordon Brown to ignore the Irish result and try and force through the Lisbon Treaty regardless," said campaign group Open Europe. It published an ICM poll showing 51 percent of Britons would reject the treaty and 28 percent back it in a referendum.

Brown's predecessor Tony Blair called off a referendum on the EU constitution, which polls suggested he would lose, after French and Dutch voters rejected it in 2005.

The government has argued the revised reform treaty no longer has constitutional status and can therefore be ratified by parliament instead of the people.

(Additional reporting by David Clarke and Luke Baker)