MacShane says joining the euro would be 'irrelevant'

Anthony Butcher · 10-12-2004, 02:33 AM

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/poli...?id=1411372004

Quote:

DENIS MacShane, the outspoken Europe minister, was embroiled in a fresh row last night after he dismissed British membership of the euro as "economically irrelevant".

The Conservatives seized on his remark, which came less than a week after The Scotsman revealed that Mr MacShane told a private meeting the government’s five tests of the economic case for joining the single currency were "a giant red herring".

Mr MacShane is a declared advocate of the European Union, and the combined effect of his comments may be to confirm sceptical observers’ suspicions that the government’s commitment to euro membership is a purely political project.

In an interview with the New Statesman magazine, the minister also revealed that, even had the government called a referendum on the euro between 1997 and 2002, he would have voted "no" because the pound’s high value against the euro would have been a permanent hindrance to British exporters.

The economic success of European nations’ has far more to do with their governments’ policies than with whether they join the euro, he said in the interview.

"Economically, it is irrelevant," Mr MacShane said. "We’ve made a fetish of this damn currency in a completely unreal way."

Graham Brady, the Tories’ shadow Europe minister, said Mr MacShane was "changing direction so often that he must be getting dizzy - he seems to have gone off the whole European project for which he has campaigned for so long".

mkpdavies · 10-12-2004, 07:19 AM

Now seriously, what is going on here???

A man that no-one had heard of is making comment after comment that can be used by our cause. I am suspicious, because Labour are so focused on spin that this would not be allowed to happen once, never mind over and over again.

C_steam · 10-12-2004, 07:42 AM

We should use this.

Quote:

We’ve made a fetish of this damn currency in a completely unreal way."

is just such a good sound bite!

Tom Wilde · 10-12-2004, 09:48 AM

It's that man again!

MacShane seems to have a habit of firing from the hip. I alway had him down as the ultimate pro-federalist but his remarks on Europe have been getting more and more erratic. I wonder if they reveal that he's having some sort of crisis of faith?

MacShane as a UKIP candidate in 2009?

mkpdavies · 10-12-2004, 10:15 AM

Or new Liebour trying to spin it that they are not the EU worshipers that they are. First Brown now McShane, anyday now Tony Blair will have a major spat with the EU and come out as the victor.

Jerry Spring EU style, all fixed to make a gullable public think we are not going to be sold out any further. Sorry, it aint gonna wash with me. Words are one thing, actions are another!

10-12-2004, 07:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,604	Now seriously, what is going on here??? A man that no-one had heard of is making comment after comment that can be used by our cause. I am suspicious, because Labour are so focused on spin that this would not be allowed to happen once, never mind over and over again. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

10-12-2004, 10:15 AM	#5 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,604	Or new Liebour trying to spin it that they are not the EU worshipers that they are. First Brown now McShane, anyday now Tony Blair will have a major spat with the EU and come out as the victor. Jerry Spring EU style, all fixed to make a gullable public think we are not going to be sold out any further. Sorry, it aint gonna wash with me. Words are one thing, actions are another! __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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10-12-2004, 09:48 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tom Wilde Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London. Posts: 2,776	It's that man again! MacShane seems to have a habit of firing from the hip. I alway had him down as the ultimate pro-federalist but his remarks on Europe have been getting more and more erratic. I wonder if they reveal that he's having some sort of crisis of faith? MacShane as a UKIP candidate in 2009?