Brown signs EU Treaty as experts warn UK will surrender control of immigration

Gordon Brown finally signed the Lisbon treaty this afternoon - nearly three hours after every other EU leader.

With charges of "gutlessness" ringing in his ears before he set off, the Prime Minister suffered more indignity when a TV link crashed just as he was about to put his name on the document.

In the end his signature had to be squeezed alongside that of David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, who earlier acted as stand-in for the Premier for a glitzy signing ceremony, joined by leaders of the other 26 EU member states.

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Hours after everyone else Gordon Brown finally signs the EU ReformTreaty

Wearing a dark suit and pale tie, Mr Brown signed up at around 3.15pm, watched by EC president Jose Manuel Barroso and the Portuguese premier Jose Socrates.

The Prime Minister signed despite new evidence which shows the controversial document will surrender almost all control of Britain's immigration

Due to the delayed arrival of Mr Brown, Foreign Secretary David Miliband was the only foreign minister to attend the televised ceremony alone, amid a stream of prime ministers and presidents from the other 26 EU states.

Buried in the Treaty's small print is a ruling that gives new rights to EU leaders to overturn decisions made by Britain's Immigration and Asylum Tribunal.

Done deal: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband puts pen to paper and signs the controversial treaty on behalf of the UK

Thousands of failed asylum seekers will now be able to take their cases to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg where the final say will be handed to unselected bureaucrats in Brussels.

European Union leaders began signing the treaty at noon today in Lisbon - with Gordon Brown, who is flying in later today, expected to sign at about 3pm.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said the treaty would create a more modern, more efficient and more modern union.

"The world needs a stronger Europe," he said.

In a speech before the signing, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called on European leaders to use the treaty to make freedom, prosperity and solidarity an everyday reality for all European citizens.

"From this old continent, a new Europe is born," he said.

Neil O'Brien, who heads the I Want A Referendum campaign, claimed last night: "By signing us up to the rejected Constitution, Gordon Brown is giving EU courts the right to hear asylum cases.

"This could mean that decisions made by UK courts to deport failed asylum seekers will be overturned by Brussels."

Almost 170,000 deportation cases are already brought before the Immigration Tribunal every year, with each case usually lasting around two years.

Giving failed asylum seekers powers to take their cases to Europe will cost the taxpayer millions of extra pounds as each case now already costs an average of £18,000.

The move drew a furious reaction from Tory leader David Cameron who has accused the Prime Minister of "betraying" the British public after ditching plans to hold a referendum.

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'From this old continent, a new Europe is born': European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso speaks at the signing

"Today Gordon Brown will betray every good thing he claimed to stand for when he became Prime Minister," Cameron told the Sun.

"He said he would trust the British people and consult them more. He doesn't even have the guts to put it to the British people."

The news emerged after Brown was accused of political cowardice after it was confirmed that he will miss today's lavish signing ceremony for the new European treaty.

He will arrive in Lisbon too late and will have to add his name some time after the other EU leaders.

Tories seized on the announcement as evidence that Mr Brown is trying to duck responsibility for a treaty that he personally supports.

He has repeatedly stated that the delay is due to a diary conflict - but as he appeared before a House parliamentary committee today he opened with a joking reference to his plan to miss the signing ceremony and the EU heads of state family photo, so that he could appear before the committee.

"I think you can see the priority I attach to attending this committee," he said.

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "Some people say Gordon Brown's problems are that he isn't decisive and he lacks political courage.

"If he's ashamed of signing this treaty then why doesn't he honour his election promise and let the British people have their say?"

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Dead end: Referendum campaigners display their spoof signs

However, the Prime Minister dismissed the row over his decision not to attend the ceremony saying he had a prior engagement appearing before MPs at the Commons Liaison committee in Westminster.

Downing Street said that despite his late arrival in Lisbon, cameras will still be present when he finally adds his signature to the treaty more than an hour after EU leaders. He will then carry out talks with EU president Jose Socrates.

The Reform Treaty, negotiated earlier this year by Tony Blair and endorsed by Mr Brown, replaces the planned constitution that was rejected by voters in France and Holland in 2005.

Labour's 2005 manifesto pledged to give British voters a referendum on the constitution, but Mr Brown insists the treaty is substantially different.

But a string of other EU leaders have admitted it is almost identical to the proposed 2005 constitution, on which Labour promised a referendum before it was rejected by voters in France and Holland.

Yesterday, furious British Euro MPs led a noisy protest at a signing ceremony for a new EU rights charter. Around 100 heckling Eurosceptics from Britain, France, Poland and Italy wrecked what was supposed to be a solemn event at the Strasbourg Parliament.

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'Treaty of Lisbon': Flags pronouncing the EU treaty's name in 15 different languages are being placed around the monastery where it will be signed

They waved placards and banners, stamped, booed and chanted "referendum". Opponents called them "hooligans" who shamed Britain.

The ceremony at the parliament was held to mark the signing of the charter by the EU's three institutions - the European Parliament, European Commission and the European Council, which represents the member states.

"Referendum, we want a referendum. The people of Europe deserve to decide for themselves," Nigel Farage, leader of Britain's UK Independence Party, shouted from his seat.

Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs in marginal seats face fierce attacks at the next election over their refusal to back a referendum on the revised EU constitution.

Millions of leaflets will be sent to voters in the constituencies of 101 Labour and 30 LibDem MPs with majorities under 5,000.

They will accuse the MPs of treating the public like "fools".

Organisers of the ReferendumList.com campaign say even a small backlash could unseat many of the anti-referendum MPs.

Just in case: Two of the guardians of the 'Book of the Lisbon Treaty of Jeronimos Monastery' are pictured with exact copies of the treaty - just in case anything happens to the original

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