Bottler signs the Constitution - sorry that should read Treaty of Lisbon

HE SLUNK into the Portuguese capital, hoping nobody would notice, and then signed up to the Treaty of Lisbon which he tells us is nothing like the rejected Constitution but very few in Britain believe him.

 

Bottler Brown was the only one of the EU's 27 heads of government to put his name to the document on his own - although he did have the decency to let cameras show him signing -after missing the televised signing ceremony in order to appear before a committee in the House of Commons this morning.

 

Just why the clash of diaries was not got around only those closest to Bottler will ever know. Surely he didn't think that by missing the ceremony, he could dupe the British into somehow believing that the unpopular Treaty was nothing to do with him?

 

If he was so proud of the document, he would have fluorished his pen alonside the other 26 leaders in a public show of faith and a defiance that said: "The Treaty is good for the UK."

 

Bottler assumes that he would lose a referendum and therefore seems scared of holding one. Although there are some stout hearted opponents of the Treaty on the Labour benches - including Gwyneth Dunwoody, Ian Davidson, Gisella Stuart, Austin Mitchell and Kate Hoey and the Liberal Democrats are split on the issue - Colchester's Bob Russell will vote against - there are probably not enough to prevent ratification by Parliament. Expect some long, acrimonious debates and late night votes.

 

Foreign Secretary David Miliband was Britain's sole representative at today's lavish signing ceremony in the historic Jeronimos Monastery, following a succession of Presidents and Prime Ministers on to the podium to pen his name.

 

Mr Brown arrived more than two hours after the conclusion of the ceremony to join his fellow leaders at the end of their lunch in the nearby National Coach Museum.

The Treaty of Lisbon was brought to him to sign on his own before a Portuguese TV camera.

 

By the time of the PM's arrival, many of the other leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, had already left.

The Treaty of Lisbon is designed to streamline the EU's workings following its enlargement to 27 members.

 

Only Ireland - which is constitutionally bound to do so - has said it will hold a referendum on the Treaty. The other 26 EU states are expected to ratify through their parliaments over the course of next year, in order for it to come into effect on January 1 2009.