AS BROWN WISELY GETS TO HIS RIGHT:

EU reform chaos as Blair and Brown disagree (Toby Helm and Bruno Waterfield, 19/06/2007, Daily Telegraph)

The bitter row over government tactics flared after Geoff Hoon, the Europe minister, said at the weekend that a referendum may be needed if EU leaders insist on a deal that is unsatisfactory to Britain.

He received strong support from Mr Brown's camp, which saw the threat of a referendum - which ministers believe would be lost - as a good negotiating ploy to focus the minds of other EU leaders to accept Britain's demands.

Both Downing Street and officials representing Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, reacted furiously, believing Mr Hoon was suggesting that Mr Blair and Mrs Beckett may meekly sell out British interests in a cowardly late-night deal at the summit.

For all his myriad good qualities, Tony Blair's worst is certainly his transnationalism. It's entirely typical of the breed to be terrified of letting voters have a voice on the matter.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 18, 2007 10:26 PM