Labourhome

Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan

AnInfantileDisorder Thu May 22, 2008 at 05:02:50 PM GMT Facebook

The FT has been listening to my pub conversations and points out that the conditions are possible for entry to the Euro.

The cunning plan element is that be calling a referendum it would force Cameron's hand and make him come out against - and tear the Tories apart.

The economic case is quite good FT Lex article.

It could also be sold as a good way to bunch together to ride out the difficult economic times and get the interest rate down a bit.

Cameron is still untested and he didn't look so good in the run up to the "election that never was". This would put serious pressure on him but he couldn't help but declare against the euro.

Apart from the fun of the Tories messing up the referendum campaign itself there is the prospect of clearing the air of the silly Lisbon Treaty and In/Out referendum calls as this is a real issue.

Does anybody else think that the public are less against the Euro than the toxic press are, and that there is a chance of actually winning a referendum campaign?

Advertise on this site with MessageSpace

tags: euro, referendum (all tags)

Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan | 7 comments (7 topical)

Re: Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan (#1)

by AngryVoter on Thu May 22, 2008 at 05:26:13 PM GMT

There is massive opposition to the Euro and there's a lot of opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. That's another pillar of the UK that a lot of folks really won't tolerate if it was rammed through and would actually embolden and maybe even see electoral sucess to an anti-EU, or just a Eurosceptic party.

Now, I have problems with Europe. The EU was originally formed to stop the European states shooting eachother by locking their economies into eachother. However in the last decade and a half the EU has turned into a runaway monster trying to stamp some form of common culture on 26 vastly different states, it's trying to form it's own diplomatic arms and the French are trying to form a military arm with it.

This makes me uneasy as it'd simply hoover the UK with it. The latest EU development zones don't have a single "Capital" in the UK at all, all being spread to the other states. Again, this makes me uneasy when I think of how good we still are.

Re: Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan (#2)

by Floating voter on Thu May 22, 2008 at 09:29:34 PM GMT

"The cunning plan element is that be calling a referendum it would force Cameron's hand and make him come out against - and tear the Tories apart."

This is what's going wrong in Crewe. Forget the infantile, Blackadder-style plotting. Come up with valid POLICY and ECONOMIC reasons why we should join the Euro. Make the case. Prove it is in the UK's interest to do this. Convince the electorate that they will be financially better off.

There is a reason people laugh when they hear the phrase "I have a cunning plan". You might want to think about it....

Re: Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan (#3)

by jdc on Thu May 22, 2008 at 09:37:38 PM GMT

This is just silly. On the question of Euro Entry Now, I'd say 98% of the Tory Party is against, and 2% in favour. I'd say the Labour Party would be more like 50/50. Who are you trying to tear apart exactly?

Setting aside the fact that it's a mad idea anyway, and the FT writer seems to have confused temporary alignment of some variables with long-term convergence of those variables.

The public, for what it's worth, are so against the Euro that the polling companies rarely even bother asking the question any more. It's about 70/30. Add in the fact that unpopular governments lose referendums, and you're looking at something like 80/20.

Re: Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan (#4)

by jkitleft on Thu May 22, 2008 at 10:12:07 PM GMT

What Bown doesn't ealise is that his New Labour calculating style is losing him support amongst the electorate. I am moderately in favour of the Euro: so convince me.

I believe we should go for the Irish approach of having referendums on such issues. However, when people said it was 95% the same as the constitution, why didn't they mention that this applied to other countries not applying for opt-outs? It didn' dserve the controversy it got.

But I'm actually more EU-sceptic than Euro-sceptic. I believe that the EU needs to be less beaurocratic. By all means, serve as a voice for Europe, in order to establish foreign credentials. But it is not unreasonable to say that EU directives shouldn't influence legislation. I was worried yesterday when it emerged that an EU directive could affect when a Temporary and Agency Workers' rights bill was brought in. Brown must also fight to abolish the CAP, and redirect much of that money into conservation.

I support working alongside Sarkozy and Merkel, Zapatero and (I just want to die) Berlusconi, Rasmussen and Cowen etc. etc. But this can take place without influencing our own legislation. This is not a 'We are an Island' attitude, as I am somewhere in between being at Atlanticist and Europhile. But the EU can exist, and should exist without the needless beaurocracy.

Re: Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan (#5)

by Prbo on Fri May 23, 2008 at 11:30:16 AM GMT

I don't think this post does anyone credit. Isn't Euro entry meant to be something that should be in the long-term interests of the country, both economic and politically, rather than a silly quick way to 'make the Tories look stupid.' Politics ought (and isn't enough, in my opinion) to be about doing what is right, not what is politically expedient - this suggestion is political expediency, not principle.

: Re: Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan (#7)

by Angiem on Sat May 24, 2008 at 09:31:58 AM GMT

I agree.

[ Parent ]

Re: Euro Entry Now - A Cunning Plan (#6)

by Graham on Fri May 23, 2008 at 01:44:05 PM GMT

The PLP would split far more than the Tory Party (We could end up with 50 or more rebels) and our vote would probably split about 50/50 if not 60/40 against membership.

There are now about three pro-Euro Tory MPs left.

Why would we possibly want to put ourselves through that at the moment?