Pro-Europe Tories go on the offensive

Patricia Wynn Davies,Political Correspondent
Friday 03 February 1995 00:02 GMT
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Tory pro-Europeans sought to stem an apparently relentless tide of Euro-scepticism yesterday with a statement strongly attacking the party's Euro-rebels while reproving ministers for dragging their feet over selling the benefits of EU membership to the public.

"Any attempt to follow the approach advocated by the un-whipped Conservative 'rebels' would certainly alienate all our potential allies and could risk precipitating our departure from the Union, with the serious economic and other consequences that wouldfollow," the declaration from the 90-strong Positive European Group said.

In contrast to the high profile approach taken last month when eight of the nine rebels outside the party fold launched an alternative European manifesto, the group did without the fanfare of a televised press conference to launch their document. But they quickly collected 52 signatories, including those of ministerial aides.

The paper - less bland than had been expected - will do little for the party unity that constantly eludes the Prime Minister. But the pro-Europeans believe they cannot go on "sitting on our hands" in the run-up to next year's summit on revising the Maastricht treaty.

The paper implicitly calls on John Major and his Cabinet to retake the initiative from diehard Euro-critics. "Ministers must make it clear that they understand that the evolution of a Community of 15 independent nations (with more to come) inevitably involves negotiations with our partners and compromise from time to time. They must also be much more willing to remind the electorate of the advantage to Britain of Union membership and counter the relentlessly negative attitudes, often based on misrepresentations, of the media and the Euro-sceptics."

The group likewise makes clear their opposition to any more positioning statements from the Prime Minister over the topic of monetary union. Mr Major said in last month's Breakfast with Frost interview that he would be against Britain joining a single European currency in 1996/7.

They said: "Given Britain's position as a major trading nation and financial centre it would be folly to rule out our membership of a single currency grouping at some time in the future..."

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