PM lets Miliband off leash to take on Eurosceptics

David Miliband has embraced French proposals to strengthen the EU's military capability in his most pro-European speech to date, in which he urges Labour modernisers to "take on the Eurosceptics".

Allowed to break free from the shackles imposed by Downing Street, the Foreign Secretary last night "strongly welcomed" the French defence initiative, which has been described by the Euro-sceptic press as a plot to create a "Euro-army".

"The countries of Europe need to be better at using their hard power," the Foreign Secretary said in the speech at an event hosted by the Blairite think-tank Progress. "That is why I strongly welcome President Sarkozy's proposals to reintegrate France into Nato's military structure and support for his call for the EU to play a greater role in crisis management."

He argued that unless Europe develops its own capabilities, it will be consigned always to wait on the sidelines until the US and Nato are ready and able to intervene. Referring to Nicolas Sarkozy's priorities for the EU presidency, Mr Miliband said he was struck by "how closely they tie with our own ambitions for the EU, as set out in the Global Europe policy statement last autumn". He specifically mentioned energy and climate change, migration, near neighbourhood policy, and "the next steps on European defence."

Mr Miliband's words will have been music to the ears of his audience. The Foreign Secretary was embarrassed when he delivered his first major speech on European policy in Bruges eight months ago, after it became known that Gordon Brown intervened at the 11th hour to water down the text.

M. Sarkozy set out his blueprint for an overhaul of France's defence and security strategy earlier this month. The plan provides for the EU being able to deploy a total of 60,000 men for a full year.

The architect of the French white paper which set out the proposed reforms said yesterday that British officials were among those in 14 countries consulted as the defence initiative was being drawn up.

However, Jean-Claude Mallet stressed at a meeting with journalists in London that France remained committed to its autonomy despite the French pledge to rejoin Nato's military command, 42 years after Charles de Gaulle pulled out.