Five more years of Tory chaos and obsession over Europe - Miliband

David Miliband MP, Labour's Foreign Secretary, said in response to David Cameron's U-turn on the Lisbon Treaty: "British people now know what to expect when they hear a cast-iron guarantee from David Cameron on Europe: nothing.

"This is not about taking back powers from Europe, it is about transferring power to the Eurosceptics on his backbenches.

"David Cameron's proposals to opt out of the social chapter are unjust and would make UK employees second class citizens in European labour markets, with weaker rights than others.

"David Cameron's proposed opt outs are impractical. Renegotiating powers requires unanimity but can Cameron name other member states who want to participate in more institutional navel gazing? He does not need to promise future referenda because the European Council said in December 2007 that it wanted no institutional change for ten years.

"The consequence of his plans would be that, instead of spending the next five years fighting for jobs and against climate change and terrorism across Europe, he will spend the next five years obsessing with institutional change."