IF ONLY THE TORIES WERE CONSERVATIVE:

Former Europe minister calls for referendum (Aislinn Simpson, 31/08/2007, Daily Telegraph)

Keith Vaz urged Prime Minister Gordon Brown to allow a vote on the treaty, feared to be simply a rehash of the EU Constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

The Leicester East MP said: "As a former Minister for Europe, I believe the time has come for the Government to hold a referendum and decide once and for all Britain's place is at the heart of Europe".

In an open letter to The Sun, Mr Vaz said the referendum - promised by Labour in their manifesto but later rejected in favour of an MPs vote - should be held at the same time as the next General Election.