The former EU constutiton, now republished as the “Lisbon Treaty” should, if the EU commissariat believed in democracy, be dead already. It was originally rejected by the French and Dutch and then again by the Irish after its repackaging. But, like with Nice, they won’t accept “no” for an answer – and it appears likely that the Irish will give in on the second go again.

Conservative policy is, and always has been, that we should have a referendum on it (just like it had been Labour and Lib Dem policy). But once the Treaty has been ratified, what can they do but “not let matters rest”? Labour would have already signed us away. And, unfortunately, they can do so – despite theit utter lack of any form of democratic mandate for that action and their original manifesto commitment to a referendum.

Apparently, however, Tory policy is “in disarray” – despite not changing.

The Lisbon Treaty will never be democratically ratified until all countries have held a referendum on it. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it, short of a revolution. The Conservatives are the only people who are willing to give we the people a choice – but not even they can roll back the clock after the treaty has been fully ratified.

Gordon Brown has already signed away much of our rights on this. Unless we get the chance to elect a Conservative government (and take it) before the Irish are made to vote again on a treaty they have already rejected, the Lisbon Treaty will be ratified and will come into effect. And then we simply can’t get out of it, however much we may want to.