Barroso triggers the referendum lock..

Jose Manuel Barroso outlines his vision to the European parliament; a federal Europe with full fiscal and political union. He proposes a new treaty to enshrine 'a federation of nation states' where national sovereignty no longer exists.

As I understand it, the Coalition's 2011 European Union Act clearly states when the 'referendum lock' is triggered:

'the conferring on the EU of a new exclusive competence' or

'the extension of an exclusive competence of the EU' or

'the extension of the competence of the EU in relation to -
The co-ordination of economic and employment policies..'

Whichever of these circumstances Mr Cameron chooses, we have now reached the end of the road. That legislation was clearly designed to protect against the further erosion of British sovereignty. Mr Barroso's proposals fully trigger the need for an EU referendum enshrined in British law. The Prime Minister now needs to state very clearly to our EU partners the consequences of such actions and confirm that any such moves will trigger a referendum in the UK.