Ukip challenges Cameron to referendum

David Cameron has the power to kill the Lisbon Treaty "stone dead", the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip) has said.

Speaking at the party's conference in Bournemouth, Nigel Farage said that if the Conservatives announced their intention to hold a referendum on the Treaty, other EU countries would be strengthened against it.

Britain officially ratified the Treaty last month, but the future of the deal is still in doubt as EU leaders consider how to respond to Ireland's "no" vote in June.

In his keynote speech, Farage said: "David Cameron could kill the Lisbon Treaty stone dead.

"All he has to do is say that there will be a referendum on the Treaty after the next election when, and let's not kid ourselves on this, he will be prime minister.

"This would strengthen the arms of the Polish and Czech presidents in their refusals to ratify Lisbon and make any attempt at a second referendum in Ireland impossible."

Farage added: "Everyone knows that the constitution - sorry, the Lisbon Treaty - will never be approved by the British people, which is why we've not been asked about it.

"So if Cameron were as eurosceptic as he claims, he would do this, he could stand up this afternoon and announce a retrospective referendum.

"So the question has to be, why doesn't he do this? Is he not as eurosceptic as he claims?"

The Tories pledged in January to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty if they won power before it was ratified by all 27 EU states.

But they did not explain whether they would attempt to reopen negotiations on the treaty if it had been ratified by every state.

Gordon Brown said last year that a referendum on the treaty was not necessary because most changes were minor or procedural.

Farage believes that Brown's refusal will set the scene in next year's poll for Ukip to top its performance in the Euro-elections of 2004, when it won 16 per cent of the vote and 12 MEPs.