The EU is expanding

The draft European Union constitution will effectively create a "new country" of Europe, the Tories have claimed. The Conservatives have fiercely attacked the constitution, with Tony Blair already rejecting their calls for a referendum. The advent of a president and foreign secretary along with other elements of the new constitution would give it the character of a state, shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram claimed. But the government's chief negotiator on the constitution, Peter Hain, said the Tories' claims were "total waffle". Mr Hain said the new framework stated the EU would stay a partnership of nation states. He also echoed Mr Blair's claims the Tories' secret agenda was complete withdrawal from Europe/ Mr Hain denied reports he had been reprimanded last week by Tony Blair following a radio interview in which he appeared to suggest that next year's elections to the European Parliament would be a de facto referendum on the new constitution.