Peter Mandelson facing questions about claim that UK will join euro
Britain is "closer than ever before" to giving up the pound for the euro, the president of the European Commission has said, sparking speculation that Peter Mandelson is pushing for membership of the single currency.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the commission president, said that his conversations with British politicians persuaded him that "the people who matter in Britain" are now thinking about euro membership in the wake of global economic and financial turmoil.
His remarks focussed attention on Lord Mandelson, who spoke in favour of joining the euro as recently as Saturday.
The business secretary is an enthusiastic supporter of the euro, and until October he was a member of the European Commission where he had a close working relationship with Mr Barroso.
On Saturday, he told a Labour conference that "our aim, our goal, should be to enter the single currency," before adding that the Government has no plans to move towards joining the euro.
Gordon Brown ruled out British membership of the euro in 2003 after the Treasury concluded joining was not in the UK's economic interest.
In a French radio interview on Sunday, Mr Barroso said he believes that changes in the economic circumstances could lead to that decision being revisited.
"I'm not going to break the confidentiality of certain conversations, but some British politicians have already told me, 'If we had the euro, we would have been better off'," Mr Barroso said. "I know that the majority in Britain are still opposed, but there is a period of consideration under way and the people who matter in Britain are currently thinking about it."
Sources close to Lord Mandelson insisted he had not discussed membership with Mr Barroso.
However, the Conservatives said they will now table parliamentary questions to establish what recent contact the business secretary has had with Mr Barroso.
William Hague, the Conservative shadow foreign secretary, said: "It is extraordinary that certain politicians are whispering to the EU Commission about joining the euro behind the British people's backs.
"If Labour ministers still want to get Britain into the euro they should come out and say so."
A spokesman for Mr Brown insisted that there has been no change in Britain's position. He said: "We have no plans to join the euro."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...tions-about-claim-that-UK-will-join-euro.html
Britain is "closer than ever before" to giving up the pound for the euro, the president of the European Commission has said, sparking speculation that Peter Mandelson is pushing for membership of the single currency.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the commission president, said that his conversations with British politicians persuaded him that "the people who matter in Britain" are now thinking about euro membership in the wake of global economic and financial turmoil.
His remarks focussed attention on Lord Mandelson, who spoke in favour of joining the euro as recently as Saturday.
The business secretary is an enthusiastic supporter of the euro, and until October he was a member of the European Commission where he had a close working relationship with Mr Barroso.
On Saturday, he told a Labour conference that "our aim, our goal, should be to enter the single currency," before adding that the Government has no plans to move towards joining the euro.
Gordon Brown ruled out British membership of the euro in 2003 after the Treasury concluded joining was not in the UK's economic interest.
In a French radio interview on Sunday, Mr Barroso said he believes that changes in the economic circumstances could lead to that decision being revisited.
"I'm not going to break the confidentiality of certain conversations, but some British politicians have already told me, 'If we had the euro, we would have been better off'," Mr Barroso said. "I know that the majority in Britain are still opposed, but there is a period of consideration under way and the people who matter in Britain are currently thinking about it."
Sources close to Lord Mandelson insisted he had not discussed membership with Mr Barroso.
However, the Conservatives said they will now table parliamentary questions to establish what recent contact the business secretary has had with Mr Barroso.
William Hague, the Conservative shadow foreign secretary, said: "It is extraordinary that certain politicians are whispering to the EU Commission about joining the euro behind the British people's backs.
"If Labour ministers still want to get Britain into the euro they should come out and say so."
A spokesman for Mr Brown insisted that there has been no change in Britain's position. He said: "We have no plans to join the euro."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...tions-about-claim-that-UK-will-join-euro.html
