What is it to be Mr Blair?

In advance of the European Council, Michael Howard, has written to the prime minister asking him to clarify the government's aims for the meeting. In his letter, sent after prime minister's questions today, Howard, said:

I think everyone will have noticed that at Prime Minister's Questions this afternoon you refused to accept that the European Constitution is dead. You talked about finding a way round the Dutch and French votes and about renegotiating the Constitution.

Before you go to the European Summit (sic) on Thursday I believe that the British people deserve to know what the government's aims actually are. Will you be arguing for the constitution to be brought back or declared dead?

I don't know whether we "deserve" to know. But we would certainly like to know.