"We Say: No Way Euro Day."And with that the Sun yesterday again raised "two fingers" to the European Union, writes Frank Millar. On its front page fluttered the familiar 12 star flag encircling a declaration of unyielding opposition to the emergent superstate. "We ate you."
Ia its leader column, the paper said the idea of a British celebration of Europe Day was a joke. In 23 years the British had "tipped £30 billion" into the Brussels coffers, while Europe "destroys our fishing industry and threatens to do the same to our beef farmers and butchers". As a trading market, fine. But as a superstate, the EU "stands for everything this country has always fought against." The message to Europe was plain. "You know what you can do with your Euro flag. And that goes for the flagpole, too"
It was no more than Mr Major might have expected. His Scottish Secretary, Mr Michael Forsyth, had set the tone early on, vowing the Euro flag would not be flown over the Scottish Office. Civic leaders in Edinburgh and Glasgow appealed to colleagues to fly the flag in defiance.
And a handful of Scottish nationalists were up with the lark to bang one over Mr Forsyth's own constituency based. But for right minded Tories that simply reinforced the point that Europe is politically correct for those who would dismember the United Kingdom and surrender Britain's sovereign power.
Luton North MP Mr John Carlisle said the day should be renamed Boycott Europe Day. "I hope everybody is buying British today, and avoiding drinking French or German wine," he declared.
And just in case anyone thought this a matter of class, Sir Peter Tapsell raised himself on the Commons floor to invite the Prime Minister, Mr John Major, to mark the day by announcing the suspension of all Britain's EU budget contributions.
Euro sceptic MP Mr Nigel Evans, sporting a union jack tie, didn't catch Madam Speaker's eye yesterday but he had plenty to smile about. He, presumably like the Chancellor, had read the Guardian. It marked Europe Day with a front page story confirming Mr Major's own judgment. Yes, you read that correctly. According to the Guardian ICM poll, British opposition to a single European currency is running at two to one.
Germany's apparent determination to retain the beef ban for safety reasons inflamed anti Kohl feelings. "This means war Krauts (Germans) new beef blitz," the Daily Star bellowed. Pointing out that Dr Kohl ate British beef at a recent meeting with Mr Major, the Star added. "Serve him right if he gets mad cow disease."