CONSERVATIVE and Labour Euro-sceptics vied for the media spotlight yesterday, both publishing pamphlets denouncing the prospect of Britain joining a single currency, while their respective parties attempted to play down the extent of their divisions.
Not surprisingly Europe dominated Prime Minister's Question T with the Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, taunting Mr John Major over his party's divisions and challenging him to state whether he agreed with his Chancellor's view that under the right circumstances Britain will join a European single currency in the next parliament.
Deliberately refusing to answer the question, Mr Major said. "We need to be engaged in the debate right until the time of conclusion whether or not we enter. If we do not enter, it would still have an effect upon this country and it is still important that Britain's voice is heard in the negotiations until those negotiations are concluded."
Mr Major asked Mr Blair to state whether he agreed with Labour Euro rebels' pamphlet which had led to so much "squabbling" in his party. "No, I don't agree with it," retorted Mr Blair.
Earlier, five Labour MPs had publicly launched the pamphlet The Single Currency Axing Labour's Programme" at the House of Commons. They claimed more than 50 of their colleagues supported their stance and urged Mr Blair to rule out joining a single currency in the party's election manifesto.
However, the Labour Eurorebels' argument is based solely upon the cost of joining rather than the Tory Euro rebels' determination to protect Britain from Europe. The Labour faction predict it would mean cutting £18 billion of public spending.
"Someone talked about turmoil. You will get turmoil if Gordon Brown as Chancellor in a Labour government has to make £18 billion worth of spending cuts and has to give way to the European bankers," said Ms Diane Abbott, the Labour MP for Hackney North.
At the same time, the former Treasury Minister, Mr David Heathcoat Amory, who resigned from the government on Monday over the issue, launched his own pamphlet "A Single Currrency. Say No," which outlined his damaging claims that Mr Major Europe policies "not working".
After describing his decision to resign as "extremely difficult and traumatic", Mr Heathcoat-Amory said he needed to be free form the constraints of government to be able to speak out on the most important issue in British politics.
The timing of Mr HeathcoatAmory's launch angered Tory officials, who had hoped to score political points by exploiting Labour's divisions over Europe. Downing Street sources admitted that Mr Major was "absolutely frustrated" by his colleagues' inability to unite.
PA adds. The Junior Public Service Minister, Mr David Willetts, replaced Mr Heathcoat Amory as Paymaster General in the ministerial reshuffle announced last night by Downing Street. Mr Phillip Oppenheim takes on Mr Heathcoat Amory's responsibilities at the Treasury. Ms Jacqui Lait becomes the first Tory woman ever to be appointed a government whip.