EU referendum

The Prime Minister's u-turn on a referendum on the EU constitution is excellent news.

I support referendums on European issues when constitutional issues are at stake.

I was annoyed when the last Conservative Government failed to give people a vote on the Maastricht Treaty, and argued for an early poll on the single currency.

The EU constitution will be finalised at a summit in mid-June, but some people ask, why have a constitution?

Like the constitution of a local residents' association or a political party, the EU needs a constitution to list its powers and limit its powers.

Currently the EU is governed on the basis of treaties - together these are like a constitution, but they need to be rationalised. With 10 new countries joining the EU on May 1st, these old treaties need streamlining.

So it is partly true that the proposed EU constitution is a "tidying up" exercise.

However, it is slightly more than that. The draft would, for example, incorporate the Charter of Fundamental Rights into British law - a constitutional step. Having a new permanent President of the European Council instead of the rotating Presidency is significant, as is the new constitutional right for a Member State to withdraw from the EU.

So I'm delighted democracy has prevailed. I only hope now that the referendum debate allows the public to hear the truth on Europe.