Euro vote could be won in a year, says former Blair aide

Tony Blair could stage and win a single currency referendum within 12 months, a former senior adviser to the Prime Minister forecast last night. Jon Cruddas, now a Labour MP who preaches caution on the euro, predicted an early poll if the Treasury's five economic tests were met by June.

He told a fringe meeting organised by The Independent, called What is Britain's Role in Europe?: "I think there will be a referendum next year.

"I do think there is a very soft middle in all of this, that the Government, if it has a rigorous economic analysis, can drive through and corral people into supporting it. I think there will be a referendum and it could well be positive."

Charles Clarke, the Labour chairman, also hinted at the possibility of an early referendum if Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, provides a positive assessment of his economic tests.

He called for an early decision on entry because the uncertainty over the euro was damaging British politics and the Labour party.

Mr Clarke said: "It is important to take this important decision for the future of the country.

"People have been waiting for this decision and all kinds of problems characterised by caricature has been aroused by this in ways which I feel are extremely damaging to the body politic as a whole." Peter Hain, the minister for Europe, lambasted the Labour Left for threatening to line up with the hardline Tories to oppose British membership of the single European currency.

In a scathing critique of Labour's historic tendency to "whinge on the fringe" over Europe, he said the British Left now had a "historic opportunity" to shape the future of the continent from within.

Mr Hain painted his party's hardline euro-sceptics as extremists prepared to throw in their lot with "anti-Labour" forces.

He added: 'Now on the euro we see a 'no' campaign led by Iain Duncan Smith and other right-wing Conservatives, sadly, with some sections of the Left fellow-travelling too, including some trade unionists and Labour members, Greens, hard-left groups and some Liberals.

"Why on earth should the Labour left line up in the 'no' campaign alongside the anti-Labour hard-left, Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbit?'

He refused to be drawn on tactics for any single referendum, but assured delegates that ministers would work hard to make sure reluctant voters would make their mark.