The Spectator’s Notes | 19 September 2009

If, as seems likely, the Irish vote Yes in their approaching second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, what will the Tories do? If Lisbon has not been ratified by the next election, they say, a Conservative government will hold a referendum on it. But if it has been, the Tory position is of the vague, ‘will not stand idly by’ variety. I have just discovered exactly how anxious the party is to avoid this discussion. As part of the Daily Telegraph’s series on Europe this week, the Euroenthusiastic John Gummer had happily agreed to do an email dialogue with me, but when he received my first message, which raised the referendum question, he suddenly decided not to. Then Michael Heseltine agreed to take part, but exactly the same thing happened, presumably because of party advice. It will be strange if the next Conservative government begins with the bad faith over Europe which would bring back the divisions of the 1990s.