Britain Shelves Vote on EU Constitution

Britain Sets Aside Referendum on EU Constitution After Defeats in France, Netherlands

Britain shelved a referendum on the European Union constitution Monday, following the charter's rejection by French and Dutch voters. The development strongly suggests the treaty cannot survive in its current form, and removes a major complication for Tony Blair.Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the House of Commons that Britain reserves "the right to bring back the European Union bill providing for a U.K. referendum should circumstances change."

"But we see no point in proceeding at this moment," he said. "These referendum results raise profound questions about the future direction of Europe," said Straw.Across Europe, many people saw the British announcement as a final nail in the coffin of the EU charter...