Europe swept on to centre stage of the British elections today as former prime minister Mrs Margaret Thatcher, wheeled out to boost the opposition Conservatives' flagging fortunes, vowed never to enter the euro.
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Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher vowed today never to enter the euro
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The Labour Party latched onto her message, which contradicts official Conservative Party policy to stay out of the European currency union just for the next parliament.
"The Conservative Party is split asunder, divided from top to bottom on the question of Europe. Nowhere is that clearer than today with Mrs Thatcher's speech," Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr Gordon Brown told reporters.
He said his party, way ahead on opinion polls for the June 7th election, had a pragmatic approach to joining the single European currency that focused on putting the national interest first.
"There are many Conservative candidates who are now saying that they want either renegotiation or simply withdrawal from the European Union," Mr Brown said.
But the Tories hit back, accusing the government of preparing to cede control of tax policy to Brussels.
The Tories produced a document they said revealed secret European Commission plans to introduce more majority voting into common taxation policies, undermining the existing need for unanimity.
Foreign Secretary Mr Robin Cook promptly rubbished the Tory claims, describing them as fanciful.
For their part, the Liberal Democrats put their emphasis on revitalising the health system.
"We want to change the focus of the NHS. We want a National Health Service, not a National Sickness Service. We want to ensure that we have the ability to provide for prevention as well as cure," LibDem health spokesman Mr Nick Harvey said.