Question: What was your reaction to the "no" vote in the Swedish referendum?

Ian Davidson: Well I'm obviously delighted that the Swedes have voted to reject the euro. It's the right economic and political decision for them at this time. What is particularly interesting is that all the political elites, all the multinationals, all those who claimed to know best were all telling the Swedes that they had to vote in favour of the euro. But the people saw through all of that and still voted against.

I think it's also interesting that the 'yes' side outspent the 'no' side by at least nine to one, I understand. They tried to buy Sweden but were rebuffed by the people.

Question: Were you surprised that there wasn't a sympathy vote following the assassination of foreign minister Anna Lindh?

Ian Davidson: I wasn't close enough to be able comment on what exactly happened. It certainly looks as though Swedes to reconfirm their support for democracy by coming out to vote but then rejected what Anna Lindh had been calling for.

Question: Tony Blair has said it changes nothing. Are you convinced?

Ian Davidson: Well, I listened to what Downing Street said and I looked out my office to see a pig flying past. I think that there can be no doubt that if the Swedish referendum had been 'yes' then Downing Street would have hailed this as being of tremendous significance and relevance.

It is absurd to suggest that this is of no consequence to us. Not only does it cut the feet away from the issue of us being isolated if we did not go in - this was exactly the argument that was given to the Swedes and they rejected it - but it also demonstrates that the political elites are out of touch on the questions of Europe.

I think that also explains why the British government are also so resistant to the issue of a referendum on the European Constitution. In Britain, as in Sweden, as in Denmark and a number of other European countries, the trans-national elites are proceeding far faster than people want and they are doing it without consent.

Question: Downing Street claimed public opinion would not be the "sixth test" in the government's assessments. Do you believe that?

Ian Davidson:If you look out of the window, you also will also see a flying pig. Any government spokesman who suggests that the government are not taking full account of public opinion on the euro is extremely badly informed.

I have absolutely no doubt that the question of public opinion is impacting on the views in Downing Street and elsewhere, [where people] are formulating policy on the referendum.

Question: What's your view on the suggestion that the government's euro roadshow has been a no-show?

Ian Davidson: You've got remember that the roadshow and the big push to promote Europe was all part of the consolation prize to those who were pressing for an immediate referendum when it was decided that it wasn't taking place.

The arrangement of a roadshow was just simply intended as a sop to the euro fanatics to indicate to them that the government was actually on their side. I don't believe the government ever seriously intended to have a roadshow at all. This was just said to overcome a difficulty.

Question: Do you think there will now be a poll before the next general election?

Ian Davidson: No. And I cannot find a bookmaker who will offer odds on there being one before the general election. That's a pretty sure-fire indication that there's no money to be made on it by the bookies.

It's an absolute certainty in my view that there will be no referendum before the next general election. I do however believe that the government will be obliged to give in to those of use who are calling for a referendum on the European constitution. I think that their position on this is just unsustainable. I believe that they will be unable to ratify the new constitution without a referendum.

Question: Do you think this is something Labour backbenchers will force the government to do?

Ian Davidson: I think that the Opposition parties are pretty solidly in favour of a referendum. Even the Liberals are moving very much in that direction. I think there's a strong vote on Labour's backbenches, the Lords will quite clearly cause the government difficulty and I think the people as a whole want to have a vote on something as important as the EU constitution.

Question: Can Tony Blair re-establish his trust and hold a referendum or is the timescale too short?

Ian Davidson: The government is required to re-establish trust before it can hold a euro referendum. But trust will be necessary but not sufficient. Even if the government established general trust they would need to persuade people on this particular issue.

If you look at what happened in Sweden, it demonstrates 'spin don't win'. You had the entire political elite and the multinationals, telling people all the things that they're telling them in Britain and it was rejected.

The government having a degree of trust here, as it did in Sweden, is not enough. The economic realities will have to change.

Gordon Brown's speech to the TUC indicated that Germany was in recession, Italy had negative growth along with Belgium and France. When people can see with their own eyes the economic realities of the euro, they're hardly likely to vote to join it.

Question: Is this the issue that will divide a Labour Party which has prided itself on discipline in recent years?

Ian Davidson: Only if the government insist on pressing ahead in the face of overwhelming public opposition. And then I think the problem will not so much be 'splitters' inside the party, it will be the population as a whole.

The government's row is really with the British people rather than in the party. This is something where those of us who are in the minority in the party are clearly in the majority in the country.

Question: Is there any support in the ministerial ranks?

Ian Davidson: This is not something we've been spending our time pursuing. We believe we can win this campaign without ministers because we have truth, justice and the British people on our side.

Question: Is the euro going to be on the agenda at Labour's party conference?

Ian Davidson: I would not have thought that the euro would be visited much at the conference. You're going to have rows on privatisation, rows with the unions, top-up fees, and foundation hospitals. All of these are 'live issues. The euro debate is essentially a dead parrot now that Sweden has voted to reject it. There is no life in the euro debate, it seems to me, so it's unlikely to capture much imagination.