eu referendum timetable, page-7

re: eu and blair Tories told to keep quiet on EU withdrawal
By Benedict Brogan, Political Correspondent
(Filed: 01/01/2003)


The anti-euro No Campaign has asked Tory MPs who argue for British withdrawal from the European Union to keep quiet during a referendum in case they frighten off the voters.

Nigel Smith, the chairman of the No Campaign, has held talks with a range of politicians to secure a moratorium on suggestions that a vote against the euro is a vote for pulling out of the EU.

"If we allow the idea to creep into the campaign that if you vote No then five years down the road you'll be leaving Europe, we will be done for," he said.

Mr Smith has spent the past three months putting together what will be described as a "British coalition against the euro". It will have the backing of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green politicians, as well as Tories.

In an interview with The Telegraph, he rejected claims that the No Campaign was trying to avoid having Iain Duncan Smith as its leader because the current unpopularity of the Tories might be a vote loser.

But he said the case against the euro would be based on using a range of unknown faces to contrast with the pro-euro "elite" of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Kenneth Clarke and Charles Kennedy.

The idea of a "British coalition" is being stressed in order to defuse claims that the No Campaign, the umbrella group that will organise opposition to the euro if a referendum is called, is in the hands of the anti-European Tory Right.

"We are trying to counter the idea that this is Iain Duncan Smith leading the No Campaign with lots of people arguing that we should get out of the European Union altogether," he said.

"One of the jobs I have been doing is talking to these groups, saying that if you make this an argument about leaving the EU we will lose the referendum."

He added: "I have spoken to all parties, and all wings of the Conservative Party, including Bill Cash and John Redwood. Given a referendum on the euro, we will deal with the issues that flow from that, rather than the issue of leaving Europe." Mr Cash, the shadow attorney-general, and Mr Redwood, the former Cabinet minister, are among the party's most outspoken critics of the EU.

Tory policy stops short of British withdrawal from the EU, although a number of the party's MPs privately support it. Mr Smith said: "It is clear that we will have a British coalition on the day that will go right across the main political parties and others as well.

"The Tory Party will be the biggest part of it, but it will not be the sole part of it. We will be pushing as often as possible to reflect the breadth of the opposition. We will characterise it as the people versus the elite."

Mr Smith, who played a leading role in the referendum on setting up a Scottish parliament, was brought in to look at how the No Campaign would build a coalition against the euro, as well as detailed operational planning for the campaign.

He rejected suggestions that the anti-euro camp was dominated by Right-wingers, saying polls showed public opinion running at two to one against joining the single currency. Until the Government called a referendum, there was no incentive for people to declare themselves on the issue, he said. Most of the Labour Party was undecided, but around 40 Labour MPs were opposed.

"It is also important to remind people that it is their decision. If they actually say no to this, the politicians can't wriggle out of it. The key thing for us is to get across to people that their vote will decide this."

Mr Smith said the No Campaign was gearing up for an early referendum, but the Prime Minister would be "irrational" if he held one now with public services in trouble and a risk of war with Iraq. Mr Blair has made clear that he wants Britain to join as soon as possible.