Stop moaning or leave the EU, Britain is told

An influential German politician has fired a warning shot at British moves to hold a referendum on the European constitution.

Elmar Brok, a centre-Right MEP and close ally of German chancellor Angela Merkel, effectively told Britain to sign up to the so-called reforming treaty or consider pulling out of the EU.

He insisted that the new draft was substantially different from the "old" constitution and that Britain had "got what it wanted" with a series of opt-outs and "red lines".

"Gordon Brown's government has said there is no justification for a referendum and the UK should stick to this commitment," said Brok, the European parliament's representative on inter-governmental negotiations on the treaty.

"It would be very unfair of the UK if, having more or less got what it wanted in the new treaty, it would then turn round and put this to a popular vote."

Brok, a member of the European convention that drafted the old constitution, asked: "The UK got its various opt-outs so what's the problem? How would it seem to other EU member states if Britain were now to hold a referendum? For me, that would undermine the negotiations on the treaty and even go as far as to question Britain's credibility as an EU member.

"Britain is a valued member of the EU but we should perhaps remember that the treaty contains an article which gives any member state the right to leave the EU if it so wishes."

Those campaigning for a British referendum were motivated "solely" by their opposition to the EU, he claimed. Brok, who was chairman of parliament's foreign affairs committee, said there was "no reason to renegotiate something you agreed on".

He added: "The chapter is closed. "We should be able to have a new treaty as soon as possible. We have a commitment from all to meet these requirements."

The political veteran said MEPs will resist any attempt to "water down" the treaty, which aims to revive the constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

He believes opposition to the treaty, particularly its proposals on votes in the EU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, could still hold up any agreement.

"The European Parliament will be watchful that the treaty mandate received from the European council will not be watered down and will remain in place. It is important that the rights guaranteed in the mandate are preserved. This is our challenge for the new few weeks."

Brok, who has held leadership posts in German and European politics, belongs to the same European People's Party and European Democrats political grouping as the Conservatives.
David Cameron has pledged to pull the Tories out of the group after the European elections in 2009.

Martin Callanan, a senior Conservative MEP, said Mr Brok should "mind his own business" and allow Britain to decide how it wishes to determine the treaty's ratification.

"If Britain wants to hold a referendum on the treaty - which I and many others believe it should - that is a matter for the UK and not fanatical German federalists like Brok," he said.

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, criticised Brok's intervention, saying: "For an arrogant, bullying German politician to be telling the British what they should or should not do is, I would have thought, likely to help the pro-referendum case.

"I would be delighted if he agreed to visit every major British city and repeat his comments."

Dear Nazi German Cunt,

The people of Britain would love nothing more than to leave your European cunt club asap. Unfortunately, our politico masters do not want to give us what we want and you and you cunt friends would probably come up for some directive claiming that any declaration of independence by Britain from the EU would be 'illegal'.