Blair – ’emerging consensus’ on euro
The Prime Minister Tony Blair has insisted that there is an “emerging consensus” within the Cabinet over the issue of potential British membership of the single currency.
Speaking at his regular press briefing in Downing Street, Mr Blair said that on-going trilateral discussions between individual cabinet ministers, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were proving “serious and detailed”.
Each member of the cabinet had made clear their support for the principle of joining the single currency, but agreed on the need to ensure that the UK economic conditions were right for entry, he said.
And he insisted that the UK would continue to push for a central role in driving ahead economic reform within the European itself.
“It is perfectly obvious that if you have the single market and the single currency area, it works very effectively but it does require greater flexibility in the economies of Europe.
“That is why we have been leading the charge for European economic reform”, he said, adding: “I can see so clearly how Britain can play an enormous part in Europe to the benefit of our economy and to our country”.
He said that Britain should have the confidence that it could continue to win such arguments in Europe.
The Prime Minister’s comments come after former minister Peter Mandelson claimed that Mr Blair had been ‘out-manoeuvred’ on the euro by what he described as an ‘obsessed’ Gordon Brown.
The former Cabinet Minister also warned that a failure to hold a referendum on the single currency would be ‘damaging’ for Mr Blair.
The Treasury’s assessment on the five euro tests is due to be unveiled in the Commons on June 9th.
The Chancellor is widely expected to deliver a ‘not yet’ verdict, though debate remains rife over whether or not he might also rule out a referendum later in the parliament.
