Parliament challenges Brown on EU treaty

By Katherine Baldwin

LONDON (Reuters) - Parliament began a lengthy process of scrutiny of the European Union reform treaty on Monday with members of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's own Labour party vowing to force him to hold a referendum.

The process began with a heated debate in parliament and will continue in parliamentary committees for six weeks.

Supporters of a referendum had hoped to embarrass Brown by voting on an amendment on Monday calling for a national plebiscite but the speaker decided no vote would be held on the rebel amendment.

Critics accused the government of stifling discussion on the treaty out of fear of losing the argument.

Parliamentary support for a referendum is insufficient to defeat the government as things stand, but the persistent calls for a vote in coming weeks could prove uncomfortable for Brown.

They will also focus the spotlight on Britain's ambivalence over the EU at a time when he is trying to convince European leaders that he is just as committed to the EU as his predecessor Tony Blair.

Supporters of a referendum hope that public momentum will grow, aided by some national newspapers which also back a vote.

"This is the start of quite a long campaign," said backbench Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, who backs a national vote.