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Mandelson: Joining euro is an important objective
Nicholas Cecil, Deputy Political Editor12 Jun 2009
Lord Mandelson has dramatically reopened the divisive issue of joining the single currency.
He described it was an "important objective" for Britain during a trip to Berlin and hailed the euro as "a great success".
It is the first time such a senior minister has openly enthused about the euro for over five years.
Gordon Brown effectively closed down the debate on scrapping the pound with his five tests in 1997.
The First Secretary of State said: "Does it remain an important objective for Britain to find itself in the same currency as that single market in which it interacts? Obviously yes."
He insisted that such a decision was for "the future" and had to be made on the "right terms in the right circumstances".
However, he added: "It is perfectly clear that the euro has been a great success in anchoring its eurozone members during the financial crisis.
"I hope people will recognise that this represents a major vindication for the single currency."
However, the Tories stressed that countries that had joined the euro had lost control over monetary policy.
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: "It is deeply disturbing that the man who now makes most of the Government's policies has declared that Britain should join the euro."
Reader views (19)
I thought that the country had given a clear message at the European Elections that Britain wanted out of the EU, but Nuliebour are taking no notice, as usual.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire, 15/06/2009 13:15
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I'd like to think that Mandelson will disappear into the abyss along with Brown, but I have a nasty feeling that he is slippery enough to escape and then find a well paid job in Europe.
- Scotty, Cambridge UK, 15/06/2009 12:52
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Brian, what evidence do you have that we will be left behind if we don't adopt the Euro? I'll tell you - none! The ability to set monetary policy independently is all important, just ask all those unemployed people in Spain. Even in Germany and France enthusiam for this failed experiment is declining rapidly, but the head in the sand politicians will never let it go now. Meanwhile with the baltic nations all coming in cap in hand the whole European Union will renain a massive drain on our cash for an eternity.
- Paul, London, 15/06/2009 09:22
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Ditching sterling is not a minor step Mandelson no right to even speak about it he is unelected and unwanted I think he will encourage Brown who is daft enough to do it to sell us down the line I think Mandelson wants the EU presendency and is quite prepared to sacrifice Britain in order to achieve it still he is not fully English only his money is English so he really has a conflict of interest how many relatives does he have in Poland or perhaps Russia he never speaks of his father for the simple reason he father was in the red army. Mandelson along with Blair and Brown should be treated as traitors and dealt with as such. My father fought in the second world war to keep this country free and its sovereignity in place these people are besmerching my fathers and millions of other soldiers names to achieve their unsavoury aim so come on everyone lets demostrate against this unelected go vernment before any more damage is done
- Jacqui Williams, peterborough cambs, 12/06/2009 16:52
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Perhaps Mandy would like to explain what we would have done during this recession if we couldn't have dropped our interest rates to 0.5 percent.
If we had been in the Euro, the European Central Bank would have set our interest rates for us.
Actually, I think this statement is just Mandy positioning himself up for another lucrative Euro job. After all, he'll be unemployed by this time next year.
- J H Holloway, London, 12/06/2009 16:16
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At last! A politician who has the guts to stand up and state the obvious, however unpopular the truth is (see comments).
The UK must join the Eurozone within the next few years, or else we shall be left behind - the unwanted economic and political orphan of America and Europe.
- Brian, London, 12/06/2009 16:02
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Just another step in the sublimation of Britain, the nation, into the EU super-state. Then we're back to the moralities and questions about that unloved one-way street policy of the present government. Ditching sterling is NOT a minor matter.
- Rogan, Irving, 12/06/2009 15:49
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Just another thing that this bunch of unelected morons wants to foist upon an unwilling public. WE WANT AN ELECTION!
- Mark, London, 12/06/2009 14:39
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Now we know why Mandy was so desperate to slither back into UK politics - apart from taking over half of Whitehall and getting a massive payoff from the EU - he wants to foist the unloved Euro on Great Britain.
If his so-called boss, Brown, was not such a bottler, we would have had a referendum on the EU by now and would have kicked this subject as well as more pointless laws into touch.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 12/06/2009 12:52
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Who is Mandy telling lies to now? The EU or us the public?
- David Davies, Basingstoke, Hants, 12/06/2009 12:23
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On the other hand it's good news for Lord Meddlesome of Rio De Janeiero isn't it. He is no longer the most hated man in the UK. Crash McDoom is now the proud holder of that particular title.
The old Mandy - Prince of Darkness is starting to look quite cuddly now by comparison to the other pond scum in the cabinet.
Funny how all governments seem to make the previous lot look great isn't it. This lot are doing the same but without the 'hassle' of elections.
- Ethan, UK, 12/06/2009 12:20
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Another political move by the socialists that we will not get to vote on. GET THEM OUT PEOPLE, QUICK!
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 12/06/2009 12:08
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It is deeply disturbing that this unelected, odious creep can be allowed to dictate policy. There must be the promised referendum which will be the only way to prove to this government that the majority of the electorate want to leave the EU. Our Westminster gravy train is full to capacity with crooks and freeloaders. When all of them are kicked out at the next election we cannot allow them to board another one in Brussels.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 12/06/2009 11:43
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We would not have to join if we had a proper government, less tax and less government debt. After the elections when Crash and his losers are going Pound Sterling will rise again and then there is no need for these socialist experiments.
- Georgie, Islington, London, 12/06/2009 11:26
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In the light of their property transactions a question mark hangs over all our politicians actions at the moment, as their decisions appear to be mainly for their best interests, and not those of the Country. And isn't this the same Peter Mandelson who lobbied Europe ain order to help his billionaire associate develop some property in the Adriatic? Perhaps we should ask 'Qui bono?'
- Jeremiah, London, 12/06/2009 11:06
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Our unelected First Secretary of State conveniently ignores that the UK economy fits none of the Maastricht criteria for entering the Eurozone.
- Susie, Paris, 12/06/2009 10:37
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What Hague should have said is 'the unelected man who appears to be making most of the Governments policies' wants us to join the Euro, that in spite of the fact that his shagged out party was in third place after the UKIP who want to leave the EU !!! You couldn't make it up.
- Nick Holland, glasgow, 12/06/2009 10:32
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Last try before they get kicked out of office. A bit like forcing through proportional representation, reform of the House of Lords and all the other socialst rubbish we have seen from the Dictatorial Labour Party in their last ditch attempts to force on us their idealistic rubbish.
- Philip, Moscow, Russia, 12/06/2009 10:32
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MEDDLESUM BELIEVES THAT HE IS RUNNING A JACKBOOT AUTOCRACY.
WHEN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL CHANGED TO THE EURO IN 2002 THE COST OF LIVING INCREASED BY 30% OVERNIGHT.
NEVER MIND WHAT MEDDLESUM IS SPOUTING. JOE PUBLIC NEEDS AN URGENT REFERENDUM ON THE LISBON TREATY AND A FURTHER REFERENDUM ON KEEPING THE POUND STERLING.
OH! JOE PUBLIC NEEDS A GENERAL ELECTION NOW.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK, 12/06/2009 10:28
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