Blair reversal
The week's news at a glance.
London
Britons will vote in a referendum on whether to endorse the proposed European constitution, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced this week. “Let the people have the final say,” Blair said. “Let the battle be joined.” The move was a turnaround for Blair, who had long insisted that the new constitution would not change Britain’s status within the E.U. and therefore did not require voter endorsement. Opposition leaders have charged that the E.U. constitution could supersede British law and erode British sovereignty. The diplomats who drafted the constitution accused Blair of passing the buck. “This is an example of him wanting to hand this problem over to the public,” said former Irish prime minister John Bruton, “rather than take responsibility himself.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?
In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meat
The Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published