"Blair wil Britten in referendum vragen of Verenigd Koninkrijk in de EU moet blijven" (en)

A report by the tabloid newspaper, The Sun, today claims that UK prime minister Tony Blair is set to call a referendum on whether or not Britain should remain in the EU.

Alternatively, he could effectively turn the next general election - due in 2006 - into a single-issue poll on Britain's relationship with Europe, the paper says.

But the timing and phrasing of the question have yet to be decided.

If Mr Blair were to win such an all-encompassing poll, it could then give him the authority to agree the proposed EU Constitution and bring the UK into the euro.

The Sun newspaper, the most widely read in the UK, has often been used by Mr

Blair to float controversial ideas.

According to wire reports, the Government denied the claims last night, saying that their position on a referendum on Europe remained "consistent".

Mr Blair has repeatedly rejected calls for a referendum on the Constitution and says that there will be a referendum on joining the euro only when the economic situation is right for the UK.

Clever strategy

Such a "do or die" vote would represent a risky but potentially clever strategy for Mr Blair, who is coming under increasing pressure to define once and for all Britain's relationship with the EU.

The majority of people in the UK are against joining the euro but want to remain in the EU and want a referendum on the Constitution. By combining all the issues, Mr Blair would force voters into choosing "all-in" or "all-out".

The strategy would also outflank the resurgent opposition Conservative party, who would be forced to campaign for withdrawal from the EU - an unpopular choice.

The Tories tried to fight the last general election on European issues but their "save the pound" campaign proved disastrous and they were thrashed at the ballot box.

If Mr Blair were to be victorious in the poll, it would also reinvigorate his premiership, which has been under siege recently, with rows over immigration and Iraq.