PM Axes Plans to Join Euro
by Ian Kirby

Tony Blair will, this week, kill off any prospect of Britain joining the euro for SIX years. The Prime Minister has been forced to scrap plans to include a Bill for a referendum on the issue in the Queen's Speech.

He was compelled to back down after the Treasury warned him the British economy was nowhere near ready to scrap the pound in favour of the single currency. Mr Blair had hoped his euro Bill would have given the government the power to call a referendum on the currency at any time.

This is the last major Queen's Speech before the next general election due in 2005, so the government cannot now push ahead until 2006 at the earliest. The process will take more than three years - even if the public vote in favour of the euro. So the currency has no chance of taking over from the Pound until 2009.

The most recent assessment by the Treasury shows that Britain's economy is shifting apart from Europe. And Chancellor Gordon Brown has made it clear he would oppose any move to include powers for a euro referendum in the Queen's Speech.

In his Mansion House speech in June, he warned: "It is because stability is so fundamental to British economic success that I can assure you there will be no short-cuts and no fudge over the euro entry".

Mr Brown will deliver his next assessment on the currency when he gives his pre-Budget report in December.

Now the Queen's Speech will be dominated by a tough new Asylum Bill, which will halt payments to asylum seekers as soon as their applications to stay in Britain are rejected.

Asylum families will also have their children taken into care, if they refuse to leave the country - with Home Secretary, David Blunkett, arguing that they cannot support them without state aid.

Mr Blair has ignored his own back-benchers' demands to include legislation to ban fox-hunting in his speech. But he will include a tough new Bill to crack down on domestic violence.

This will include new laws to jail men who breach court orders to stay away from partners they have abused. There will also be a national register of wife-beaters.

Moves to reform the House of Lords, give more protection of children and introduce university tuition fees will also be in the Speech.
News of the World. 23rd November 2003

PPHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: It looks as if we have been granted a reprieve on the euro. Remember, we may have a few more years to see what the single currency will do to other nations, but the major danger to the UK still remains the EU Constitution which, if signed up to, will effectively gut the UK as an independent, self governing nation. Is this really what the British people want?

Further Resources:
Ten Minutes to Midnight by Phillip Day
Vigilance by Ashley Mote
Available from www.credence.org

War Over EU Tax On Poppies

by Nigel Nelson

Chancellor Gordon Brown is to block a plan by EU tax meddlers to cash in on the Remembrance Day poppy and other charity emblems.

Charity flag appeals are currently exempt from VAT - but now European Commission officials want to slap up to 17.5p in the pound on the raw materials that go to make the symbols.

The money grabbing scheme would cost organisations like the Royal British Legion - which this month sold 33 million poppies worth £22 million - a fortune in lost revenue.

But Mr Brown hopes to persuade EU finance ministers to drop the plan. And he is privately making it clear if they don't, he will use the nation's veto to chuck them out.

British Legion spokesman, Jeremy Lillies, said: "We expect the Chancellor to use the veto if it comes to it. We are sure the Government won't allow Europe to threaten poppy sales."

EU officials are also keen to impose VAT on new buildings used by charities - costing a fortune to move. But a Treasury insider insisted: "The Government has made it clear we will not accept tax harmonisation on any matter."

The People 23rd November, 2003