LABOUR AGAINST THE EURO

Dateline: 20th April 2002

Some 30 Labour MPs have formed Labour Against the Euro. They are:

Harold Best, Ronnie Campbell, Michael Clapham, Harry Cohen, Jeremy Corbyn, Jon Cruddas, Ann Cryer, John Cryer, Ian Davidson (Chairman), Denzil Davies, Terry Davis, Hilton Dawson, David Drew, Bill Etherington, Ian Gibson, Tom Harris, Kelvin Hopkins, Alan Howarth, Terry Lewsis, Alice Mahon, John McDowell, Austin Mitchell, Alan Simpson, Dennis Skinner, Llew Smith, David Taylor, Mike Wood, Jimmy Wray.

They were joined by Lord (Denis) Healey and Lord Dixon.

Late will campaign against a Euro Referendum being held within the present Parliament. They are also, naturally, anxious that the stringent requirements of the Euro (and of previously signed Treaties like Maastricht) that restrict Government spending and borrowing just when the Labour Party is committed to vast State spending on the Health Service, Education and a decrepit transport infrastructure.

It has always been obvious to observers of Tony Blair since his 1997 election victory that he could not have his cake and eat it. Ideologically both on the "European" Union and on his low tax, privatising policies he is virulently opposed by a large section of his own party. In terms of pure pragmatics he is also in danger of alienating (on his policies of higher taxes and the Euro) those very Tories who were prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt in 1997 and 2001.

The Left of the Labour Party, opposing Blair on such important issues now also have the prospect of "puppet Blair" being dangled by President Bush on the question of attacking Iraq, where the opposition is even more widespread than on the question of the illegal attack on Yugoslavia.

Blair is heading for a serious conflict with his own backbenchers on Iraq, Europe and State spending. The rise of such a group of Labour backbenchers as LATE is just the first sign of his enemies coming to get him!