EU Treaty campaign gathers pace
5:21pm Friday 8th February 2008
A GIANT inflatable ballot box was hoisted up at the Middlebrook Retail Park by campaigners demanding a referendum on the new EU treaty.
Business chiefs behind the national cross-party "I Want A Referendum" campaign organised the stunt to publicise their poll of 77,000 homes in Ruth Kelly's Bolton-west constituency on the treaty.
Residents will be asked whether they think the Government should hold a referendum on the treaty and whether they think Britain should adopt the document.
Ballot papers were due to be delivered to people in Bolton-west over the next few days and campaigners are holding similar polls in nine other constituencies across the country to highlight their cause.
They are angry because Government promised a referendum on the EU Constitution, which was abandoned in 2005 after being rejected by voters in France and The Netherlands.
Gordon Brown is refusing to let people vote on the new Lisbon Treaty, which has replaced it, rejecting claims the two documents are largely the same.
Among campaigners at the Middlebrook launch was Tony Blair's former economic advisor and Labour Party member, Derek Scott.
He said: "Arguing these documents are different is frankly a nonsense.
"The Labour manifesto had a very specific committment that there would be a referendum so I find this extraordinary.
"These campaign referendums will show people are concerned and we already have more than 30,000 registered supporters."
Mr Scott added that he believed the treaty would hand more powers to Brussels.
Its provisions include scrapping national vetoes, giving the European Court of Justice more powers and effectively creating an EU foreign minister.
People in Bolton West have until February 25 to return their ballot papers with the results due by the end of the month.