Gordon Brown faces a battle to get the EU treaty through Parliament after it was agreed by EU leaders in Lisbon.
The prime minister ruled out a referendum saying he had already "safeguarded the national interest" with "red line" opt-outs in key areas. But Tory leader David Cameron accused him of treating Britons "like fools" and pledged to fight for a referendum when MPs debate ratification next year. It has to be ratified by all EU states before coming into effect in 2009.
Mr Brown said he wanted the "fullest possible Parliamentary debate" on the treaty. "I believe that debate will show that we have at all points defended the British national interest," he told reporters earlier.
'Confusing'
Mr Brown is understood to have set aside up to three months to ratify the treaty, and has briefed colleagues to expect a protracted battle starting in the New Year.
BBC News 24's chief political correspondent James Landale said Labour may be hoping a lengthy debate on the EU treaty will kill off demands for a referendum by making it "confusing to many people and they will switch off from it". The treaty deal was struck after late-night wrangling between the 27 heads of state and government over the number of Italian MEPs and Poland's voting strength in the reformed EU.
Mr Brown told reporters it would rule out further institutional change in Europe "for many years to come". He said EU leaders could now concentrate on discussion about jobs, prosperity, the environment and "how we can respond to the changing needs of the world economy in the interests of the citizens of Britain". UK opt outs in key areas like human rights, tax and benefits, foreign policy and justice meant there was "no fundamental change" to British sovereignty, said Mr Brown.
'Brown promise'
But David Cameron warned the treaty would mean a "significant transfer of power" to Brussels and he believed it should be put to the public, rather than just being scrutinised by MPs. "Gordon Brown made a promise to hold a referendum on the EU Constitution.
"This treaty is almost exactly the same as the Constitution and they have broken their promise. We will fight for the referendum in the House of Commons and we will try to make sure he keeps his promise to the British people. He added: "Just about every MP in Parliament was elected on a promise to hold a referendum.
"Gordon Brown has no democratic mandate to agree to this treaty without the British people having their say. "We are keeping our promise - he should keep his." Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said he "fully expects" there to be a vote on whether to hold a referendum when MPs debate the treaty.
Backbench rebellion
A number of Labour MPs - including former Europe Minister Keith Vaz and former minister Gisela Stuart, who helped draw up the original constitution - also want a referendum, setting up the prospect of a backbench rebellion. The Conservatives are also expected to use every Parliamentary tactic at their disposal to block the ratification process, in a repeat of debates on the Maastricht treaty 15 years ago. The Liberal Democrats are likely to vote with the government on the question of a referendum - although much will depend on their new leader, who will be elected in December.
Nick Clegg, favourite at the bookmakers to land the job, said he did not want a referendum, as the reform treaty was a "modest" document compared to previous EU treaties. UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage called for a referendum on the whole question of British membership of the EU.
"It is over 30 years since the British people were asked. When they were asked in '75, they were told that we could be part of a European Community that was about free trade and friendship," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"Well, here in Lisbon we have agreed a treaty that makes the European Union a country. A country called Europe now exists once this treaty goes through - there is no legal debate or argument about that." EU governments are due to formally sign the reform treaty - which has been negotiated over two years since the constitution was rejected - in December. Over the next 12 months it would then be ratified by the individual parliaments, to come into effect on 1 January 2009.
歐盟27國簽署里斯本條約 取代歐盟憲法
歐盟領袖與各國外長出席簽約儀式，葡萄牙總理蘇格拉底在儀式前說：「歷史將記得這一天，通往歐洲典範的希望新道路已開啟。」 蘇格拉底堅稱，這份取代歐盟憲草的條約，不會對成員國的主權構成威脅；歐盟憲法因為前年遭到法國與荷蘭公投否決而受挫。
他說：「歐洲計畫不會消滅或無視於國家認同，而是提供多邊規範架構，不論是對整體，或是對參與計畫的每一個國家，都能帶來利益。」 簽約儀式在里斯本傑洛米默斯修道院舉行，引人注意的是英國首相布朗並未參加，而是由外務大臣米勒班代為簽字。 布朗在倫敦出席國會的委員會會議，預定今天稍晚將與歐盟其他領袖一同簽署兩百五十頁的條約文件。
條約必須交付所有會員國批准，然後才能依計畫於二零零九年生效。 會員國中僅愛爾蘭因憲法規定，必須針對條約舉行全國公投；前年歐憲就是因為公投而受挫，引發歐盟有史以來最嚴重的政治危機。 歐盟執委會主席巴洛索說，里斯本條約將「強化聯盟採取行動並有效達成目標的能力。因此將有助於聯盟為歐洲公民帶來更好的成果」。
最新民調 愛爾蘭將以些微差距通過歐盟條約
（法新社都柏林七日電） 根據定於明天公布的最後民意調查顯示，愛爾蘭可望以些微差距，在下週舉行的公民投票中通過重要的歐洲聯盟改革條約。「週日商業郵報」以及Red C調查機構完成的民意調查顯示，有四成二的愛爾蘭民眾支持里斯本條約，較說「不」的三成九多了三個百分點。
歐盟領導人密切注意愛爾蘭公投，這項正反意見勢均力敵的民調指出，反對陣營獲得的支持正在增加，顯示愛爾蘭總理高溫想要確保十二日的公投能過關，仍要歷經相當奮鬥。另一項在前天由「愛爾蘭時報」發表的民意調查結果顯示，反對里斯本條約的比例首次領先贊成的比例，三成五的受訪者有意投反對票，有意投贊成票的人則為三成；反對的比例領先五個百分點，同時反對的比例較三週前增加一倍。
在歐盟近來擴大之下，里斯本條約旨在加速歐盟的決策過程，並將創建全職的歐盟主席及外交政策首長。愛爾蘭是歐盟成員國之中，唯一為里斯本條約舉行普選投票的國家，如果里斯本條約遭到愛爾蘭將近四百萬的選民否決，預料將在有著五億人口的整個歐盟地區造成混亂。週日商業郵報表示，和兩週前的民調結果比較，這次民調的反對比例增加了六個百分點，而贊成的比例增加百分之一，但不少持反對態度的受訪者表示，他們不確定會去投票。
有五成選民一定會去投票，其中支持者比反對者領先九個百分點。即使在一定會去投票的受訪者中，也有一成七表示，他們還沒有決定要支持哪一方。
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