THE Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, went on the offensive over Europe yesterday and promised any government he led would put Britain "walking tall" at the top of the EU instead of "skulking on the sidelines".
In what senior sources said was his definitive statement of Labour's position on Europe, he accused the Tories of "demeaning" Britain by letting it be "dragged along" behind the vision and drive of others.
Addressing German businessmen in Bonn, he urged a lifting of the EU ban on British beef but criticised the government's handling of the issue, and railed against the "xenophobia and anti German sentiment" roused in some quarters" by the crisis. He pledged Labour would proudly fight the next general election as the party in favour of a constructive relationship within Europe and against "perpetual and negative isolationism" even though, he said, the Tories were bound to portray that as a willingness to "sell Britain out".
The pro European Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Michael Heseltine, accused Mr Blair of "selling Britain short" and looking for a European "love in".
The Tory party chairman, Dr Brian Mawhinney, claimed last night: "Mr Blair would turn this nation into a doormat upon which other countries could wipe their feet."
Mr Blair told his audience: "I have no doubt at all that Britain's future lies in the EU and at the centre of its events, not on the sidelines. It is demeaning to my country, that is so rightly proud of its history and traditions to be reduced to the margins of influence, dragged along querulously behind the vision and drive of others.
"Britain should take its proper place as a leader in Europe."
Few outside the Tory Party genuinely thought it sensible for Britain to leave the EU, he said.
On beef, Mr Blair promised his party would not undermine efforts to get the ban lifted, saying the measures the government had put in place, properly enforced, meant British beef was safe.
But no one had been more critical than Labour of the government's handling of BSE, he stressed, and the government had opened its policy of non co operation in Europe without consultation.
Mr Blair reiterated Labour's commitment to sign up to the Social Chapter.
He promised Labour would not seek to "derail" the single currency project, but he urged "prudence" to ensure participating countries had truly matching economies to avoid massive job losses and a potential nationalist backlash.
And he strongly supported enlarging the EU, but not in areas of "vital national importance" such as defence, immigration or treaty change.
Mr Heseltine told BBC Radio 4's World at One that Mr Blair's criticism of the government over beef would probably encourage the Germans in their stand against lilting the ban.
The government was fighting to persuade Germany to lift it, he said, "and here you have got Tony Blair out there selling Britain short."