EU 'Bid to Brainwash UK Voters'
by Nic Cecil, Political Correspondent

EU chiefs want to brainwash Brits into giving up their nationality, the PM's envoy to Brussels warned yesterday. Gisela Stuart said Brussels bigwigs were plotting to create an EU of 450 million "true Europeans."

The MP said their aim was to "strip out Britishness" to turn us into European citizens. But she warned: "This is opening a Pandora's Box."

Ms Stuart is Labour's parliamentary appointee to a convention on Europe's future - headed by ex-French president Valery Giscard D'Estaing. She is the only Brit on its 13-strong inner circle, which is drawing up a new Euro constitution. But Ms Stuart warned the other members against a headlong rush to build a superstate, saying it would alienate millions of voters. She also said it would give a huge boost to extremist parties such as France's National Front, led by Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Ms Stuart said: "We cannot draw up something so remote from reality in the hope that the world will move in that way. That is when you get the Le Pens and the Far Right."

Bavarian-born Ms Stuart - a British citizen - was handed her convention job after being axed as health minister. She dismissed claims that Britain is the winning the battle to limit Brussels' powers. She said "real proposals" to halt the drive towards a United States of Europe were blocked.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Ancram said: "We'll make sure people aren't brainwashed."
The Sun, 14th March 2003