99 percent Brits say PM Brown betrayed the country

London, July 21 : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been accused of betraying the country with a "grubby" surrender to Brussels by ratifying the Lisbon Treaty, a Daily Express poll has confirmed.

An overwhelming 99 per cent of readers felt cheated by the Prime Minister when he tamely surrendered sovereignty to Europe this week, the poll revealed.

Asked if Brown had sold us down the river, they answered with a resounding "Yes".

Thousands demanded that Labour give the country the referendum we were promised before the last general election.

The Government secretly ratified the Lisbon Treaty earlier this week and committed the country to a new deluge of European meddling.

In a sign of the Prime Minister's personal embarrassment over the betrayal, the historic step was only made public on Thursday; 24 hours after the covert ceremony had taken place.

The Queen, who had no choice, signed the instrument of ratification. Because Brown had signed the treaty, she was constitutionally forced to follow suit.

Opponents fear that the Lisbon Treaty is a major step towards a European super state that will eventually wipe out individual nations.

Critics still hope it can be destroyed. All 27 nations in the EU must ratify it for it to come into force.

The Irish people, who were given a referendum, have already rejected it. If their pro-treaty parties fail in attempts to persuade them to reverse their rejection, then the treaty will die.

So far 10 nations, including Britain, have formally ratified it. A further 12 are close to completing the process.

The treaty scraps national vetoes over EU decisions in dozens of policy areas. Some experts fear that Britain will even lose control over immigration and the criminal justice system.

Brown is facing widespread revolt and even the threat of further legal action after forcing the treaty into law without the promised referendum.

Tory Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "Gordon Brown has no democratic or moral authority to sign Britain up to what is a renamed EU Constitution."

This move is a total breach of trust with the British people and a flagrant breach of his solemn election promise, he added.

ANI