Cameron tougher on Lisbon?

Mark Mardell|10:04 UK time, Friday, 29 May 2009

My colleague Jonny Dymond has left the office for a month with a lot of wires and a long-suffering producer, but that does not mean he is ever far from my heart, or indeed my inbox and he e-mailed me this extract from David Cameron's speech the other day:

"We will therefore hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, pass a law requiring a referendum to approve any further transfers of power to the EU, negotiate the return of powers, and require far more detailed scrutiny in Parliament of EU legislation, regulation and spending."

"Is this a big shift of policy?" the eagle-eyed trans-European traveller wondered. After all, up until now the Conservatives have only suggested there would be a referendum if Ireland voted "no" (or the Czechs or Germans failed to complete ratification). To hold one regardless would be new, and big.

But I was wary, simply because I had recently wasted a Saturday morning writing an excited blog a few weeks ago based on a news release from William Hague's office, saying much the same thing. When I read the full speech, caveats and all, I had to bin the blog. So I duly read Mr Cameron's pronouncement in full. There are no qualifications.

The Conservatives' press office says there has been no change of policy. I wanted a bit more than that, but three phone calls and 24 hours later I haven't had a reply. It seems a casual way to announce a major policy shift.

But surely in a speech which was about the importance of honesty and transparency for politicians, Mr Cameron would not have been less than straightforward? Whether he meant it or not it is now on the record: in government the Conservatives will hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, no ifs, no buts.