Blair and Brown tell MPs to campaign for Europe

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown told Britain's Labour MPs today to go out and make the case for Europe in what was being seen as the start of a major drive to win public opinion over to the euro.

The British Prime Minister and Chancellor addressed the Parliamentary Labour Party following their joint press conference yesterday, at which they committed Cabinet ministers to a “patriotic” campaign to tackle anti-European prejudices and myths.

Earlier, Mr Brown met the board of pro-euro campaigners Britain in Europe at 11 Downing Street for a private discussion at which he was said to have been “enthusiastic” about the prospect of the UK joining the single currency.

Mr Brown ruled out an immediate referendum on the euro in a long-awaited Commons announcement on Monday.

But he left the door open for a poll in this Parliament, and Mr Blair said yesterday it was “perfectly possible” it could come as early as autumn next year – if the Chancellor’s economic tests were met.

Backbenchers at today’s PLP meeting, which took place behind closed doors in the House of Commons, said Mr Blair gave MPs a message that was both pro-European and pro-euro and made clear that he was determined to mount a sustained campaign to defeat the arguments of eurosceptics.

Europhile Peter Mandelson said: “You are not going to see a flash-in-the-pan campaign on Europe.

“You are going to see a serious, sustained argument, in my view, by all members of the Government, by the Parliamentary Labour Party, which won’t be conducted to the exclusion of every other issue – and nor should it be – and which I believe will gain strength and momentum over the coming year.

“Whether that leads to a referendum next year is a different question.”

Mr Blair had made clear that he did not believe it was possible to separate the issue of euro entry and the issue of Britain’s place in Europe, he said.

“You can be in the EU but not the single currency, but you can’t campaign for the single currency without also making the case for Europe,” said Mr Mandelson.

Labour spokesmen said Mr Blair and Mr Brown had repeated to MPs the case they set out earlier this week – that they were united in their belief that euro entry would be good in principle for the UK, but that it was vital that the economic conditions were right.