last updated: Saturday 21 June 2008, 11:41am

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Brown: 'Treaty ratification after ruling'

Ireland has until October to 'find a way forward' over the EU treaty as Britain waits for a judicial review.

It comes as Gordon Brown was forced to confirm that it would not be ratified by Britain until the High Court announces the result of a judicial review next week on whether the Government should have held a referendum.

Earlier, High Court judge Lord Justice Richards asked for UK ratification to be delayed until he delivered his ruling.

He said he was 'very surprised' to receive a letter from lawyers for the Government saying that they were pressing ahead with ratification.

Together with Mr Justice Mackay, he is hearing a case brought by eurosceptic millionaire Stuart Wheeler, who has sought judicial review of the decision to ratify the Treaty without a referendum. A ruling on the case is expected next week.

Lord Justice Richards said: 'The court is very surprised that the Government apparently proposes to ratify while the claimant's challenge to the decision not to hold a referendum on ratification is before the court.

'The court expects judgment to be handed down next week. The defendants are invited to stay their hand voluntarily until judgment.'

But the Prime Minister, speaking at the EU summit in Brussels, said the Government's own timetable already took into account the need to wait until Lord Justice Richards handed down his decision.

Last week, Ireland threw the bloc into chaos after voting 'No' to ratifying the Treaty.

The EU has now agreed more time to analyse the situation and accepted Dublin's suggestion to return to the issue at its next regular summit in October, effectively putting the issue on ice until then.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has offered an 'absolute guarantee' that it will not come into force unless it is accepted by the people of Ireland.

He rejected suggestions that Britain wants Ireland to re-run its referendum in the hope of securing a 'Yes' vote and said there would be 'no bamboozling or bulldozing' of Dublin as it considers its next move.

Meanwhile, European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson shrugged off a bruising assault from Nicolas Sarkozy over the crisis - insisting the French president's comments had actually been 'tactful and diplomatic'.

Mr Mandelson played down the spat after Mr Sarkozy explicitly blamed his handling of free trade negotiations for last week's shock Irish No vote.

He pointed out that Mr Sarkozy had been asked during a press conference to hold EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso responsible for the setback.

Mr Mandelson said: 'He tactfully and diplomatically chose to blame me instead. My shoulders are broad enough and my skin is thick enough to take this.'

He added the French provided reassurances that Mr Sarkozy 'had nothing against me personally'.

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