Tories riven over Europe again

WILLIAM HAGUE'S attempt to settle the differences within his party over Europe will be blown apart today on the eve of the Tory party conference when his critics launch a vigorous new attack on his policies.

As the ballot papers in the poll of Tory members about the single-currency policy are counted, the Conservative Group for Europe, chaired by former Cabinet minister John Gummer, will publish a pamphlet directly contradicting the Hague line.

The highly pro-European paper raises the stakes in the battle over the future of the party by calling for Britain to enter economic and monetary union "at the earliest opportunity" - in stark contrast to the Tory leader's policy of keeping out of the union for the lifetime of the next parliament. It also advocates greater integration with the introduction of an elected EU president, creation of a "European university for skills" and an EU job centre to encourage mobility of the workforce around the continent.

The pamphlet, including a foreword by Mr Gummer praising its "positive, fresh and invigorating" arguments, will undermine Mr Hague's attempt to draw a line under his party's infighting over Europe. Allies of the Tory leader condemned the authors as "mad troublemakers" who threatened to destabilise the party.

It comes as Michael Heseltine, the former deputy prime minister, and Kenneth Clarke, the former chancellor, launch a high-profile, pro-European campaign at the conference in Bournemouth. They also plan to publish a pamphlet setting out the dangers of ruling out joining the single currency.

Michael Ancram, the incoming Tory chairman, said yesterday that he expected an overwhelming victory for the leader in the ballot. There has been a turnout of around 50 per cent which is expected to support Mr Hague by a margin of more than 70 per cent. "The party has democratically spoken and I hope we can move on from here," he said. However, pro-Europeans made clear that they would not be silenced.

The pamphlet, from the youth wing of the Conservative Group for Europe, says that adopting a Eurosceptic tone would be a "betrayal of Conservatism". "Economic and Monetary union can be the proud legacy of any Conservative administration and we urge the Party to adopt it as policy."

Their stance has won endorsement from Mr Gummer, who describes the paper in his foreword as "a manifesto that addresses the key issues of our time - jobs, technology, the environment, trade and, of course, the single currency".

Ian Taylor, a former minister, said: "How could the ballot close the issue when the issue is not closed?"

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