Britain will fight to safeguard its "red lines" in the final negotiations on the new EU constitution

Britain will fight to safeguard its "red lines" in the final negotiations on the new EU constitution - and go on to win a referendum on the document, Gordon Brown said yesterday. Visiting Brussels for a meeting of EU finance ministers, the chancellor insisted there had been no hardening of the government's position since Tony Blair's referendum u-turn. Foreign policy, social security and defence are the other areas where No 10 has pledged to stand firm as the EU rewrites and simplifies the rule-book for its 25 member states. "The referendum will come after the negotiations, and after the debate in the House of Commons," Mr Brown said. "If we secure a treaty that is acceptable for Britain, then I believe we can also put it successfully to the British people." But pressure is mounting, with just a month to close a deal before the Brussels summit on June 17. Talks collapsed in acrimony in December when the Italian presidency failed to broker a deal. Prospects improved when a new Spanish government took over, promising new flexibility. Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister and current president, is holding intensive talks to try to bridge the gaps. The key is a deal on voting weights in the council of ministers.