Move comes as Cameron prepares to abandon referendum pledge

The Eurosceptic Czech president Vaclav Klaus has signed the Lisbon Treaty, removing the last barrier to full ratification. The Czech Republic was the only one of the 27 European Union member states not to have ratified the treaty.

Klaus's move came after the Czech Republic's constitutional court rejected a legal challenge to the document. The court ruled that the treaty, which establishes the posts of EU president and foreign minister, would not violate national sovereignty.

Gordon Brown praised Klaus's decision as "an important and historic step for all in Europe". He added: "Today is a day when Europe looks forward, when it sets aside years of debate on its institutions, and moves to take strong and collective action on the issues that matter most to European citizens: security, climate change, jobs and growth."

The Czech president's decision will disappoint David Cameron who had repeatedly urged Klaus to block the treaty. The Tory leader is expected to announce tomorrow that a Conservative government will not a hold a referendum on the treaty. Cameron will argue that ratification makes a UK vote on the document impossible but his U-turn is likely to infuriate Eurosceptics who were previously offered a "cast-iron guarantee" of a referendum.

Instead of a referendum, Cameron will promise to renegotiate the most objectionable parts of the treaty. But he has already come under fire from the right of his party.

Bill Cash MP, said: "We need a full referendum on Lisbon as we were promised. No ifs or buts. This is about the Government of the UK operating in line with the democratic wishes of the electorate."

Barry Legg, the former Tory chief executive and co-chairman of the Eurosceptic Bruges Group, said: "David Cameron needs to come clean with the British people: why is he breaking his pledge to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty? How can David Cameron claim he'll fight to repatriate powers from Brussels when he won't even fight to implement his own past words?"

Nigel Farage, the UK Independence Party leader, who will hope to win votes from the Tories over the issue, said: "We can now see how gutless and dishonest the Conservative Party has been about their intentions on a referendum."

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