THE “cast iron guarantee” by David Cameron to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was ridiculed today by former home secretary David Blunkett who said it had “turned out to be made of plywood.

Graham Dines

THE “cast iron guarantee” by David Cameron to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was ridiculed today by former home secretary David Blunkett who said it had “turned out to be made of plywood.”

The treaty was finally ratification yesterday with the signature of Czech President Vaclav Klaus, thus making any referendum pledge superfluous.

In the Commons, Mr Blunkett asked: “Could the Prime Minister tell the House what he thinks of the credibility of a party leader who has spent so much time and energy attacking you over the Lisbon Treaty only to reveal now that his cast-iron guarantee has turned out to be made of plywood?''

Mr Brown, who was told by Speaker John Bercow to focus on Government policy rather than that of the Opposition,” said: “The Government will work in concert with the other 26 countries of the EU.

“We will work with them on the same policies to bring about economic recovery. We will work with them on the same policies to bring down unemployment in our country. And we will work for greater international coordination.

“We will not make iron-cast guarantees that are broken.”