Letter: Euro-hypocrites

Sir: The alarm made by Eurosceptics about the threatened non-appearance of the Queen's head on euro banknotes really does take hypocrisy to new levels ("Off with her head, says Europe", 23 September).

I too believe that our national symbols should remain on the euro note if and when Britain joins the single currency and I am confident that the British government will be able to negotiate this.

But the decision was taken two weeks ago by the governing body of the European Central Bank, a committee that Britain is not represented on and one that Tory Eurosceptics do not wish us to join.

If we followed William Hague's advice and committed ourselves to staying out of the single currency for at least 10 years, Britain would have no hope of influencing these decisions.

The Conservative Eurosceptics decline to advocate a role for Britain in Europe's development, then pretend to be shocked when Europe takes decisions without us.

Such political tactics are misleading in the extreme, and have nothing whatever to do with Britain's economic self-interest.

BILL RAMMELL MP

Chair, Labour Movement for Europe

House of Commons