Normally, I admire people who admit their errors, but in this case I will make an exception. Clarke appears to be gearing up for a Tory leadership bid and is cunning enough to know that his chances of success will be severely diminished if he continues to tow a pro euro line.

His (new and probably cynical) assessment of the euro is however correct. Its performance since 1999 has been dismal and the euro project would never have been launched if we knew then what we know now.

The economic performance of the eurozone has generally been very poor (there are several reasons for this, but the euro has been a hindrance rather than a help).

Public opinion polls (even those conducted by the EU itself) have repeatedly shown that the majority of Europeans have an adverse opinion of the euro and in several countries the majority of citizens would like to return to their national currencies.

The three EU countries which decided to stay out of the eurozone (i.e. the UK, Sweden and Denmark) all have superior records in (terms of growth and employment) than the eurozone economies since 1999.

Moreover, the euozone countries have all placed themselves in a monetary straitjacket in that they cannot adjust their interest rates to suit the needs of their individual economies.

It was pointed out at the time (not least by Mrs. Thatcher) that the economies of the EU were too diverse for the single currency to make sense. Now some politicians in Italy and Germany are calling for the project to be abandoned (admittedly a very unlikely prospect). But if we had listened to Clarke, the UK would now be locked into the eurozone. This ageing tobacco salesman doesn't deserve support in his bid for the Tory leadership - at least not without a lot more, and less cynical, admissions of 'mea culpa'.

Yet another person beating a Tory for making a mistake some time ago.

Just because he says the € isn't working doesn't mean he is no longer pro-European! A lot of older and wiser politicians both at home and abroad have also made the same mistake. It was worth a try and it was a nice idea, but its not worked. Be thankful we where not part of it.

But the good ship Britannia has been geared up and is on a steady course to the eventual joining of the €! Dr Crippen (Blair) has said so himself!

But Clarke was also a leading champion of the UK's entry into the exchange rate mechanisim in the early 1990s, which proved to be an unmitigated disaster. He may well still be 'pro-European' (whatever that means) but the euro is the defining issue with regards to attitudes to Europe within the Tory party.

'Worth a try and a nice idea' ??? You make it sound as though the project was a trivial one, comparable to trying out a new fashion accessory rather than a decision with fundamental consequences and implications.

A friend of mine who lives in Dublin says that the Euro has greatly helped his motor scooter business (he imports from Italy)

Although general domestic and cost-of-living prices have shot up in Dublin, its undergoing a great deal of regeneration and may have cone so if they were still using Irish pounds and punts.

Originally posted by alchresearch
A friend of mine who lives in Dublin says that the Euro has greatly helped his motor scooter business (he imports from Italy)

Although general domestic and cost-of-living prices have shot up in Dublin, its undergoing a great deal of regeneration and may have cone so if they were still using Irish pounds and punts.

Ireland was doing well before the advent of the euro and has done so since, in spite of not because of the single currency. It has undoubtedly had an effect on inflation, because Ireland can no longer use monetary instruments to control prices (not least house prices). Ireland has had a very large amount of regeneration money from the EU over the years and (with the exception of the Cohesion fund, from which it is no longer a beneficiary) this money has nothing to do with membership of the eurozone. Moreover, ireland has received a considerable amount of foreign direct investment and much of this is due to its proximity to the UK's big market and to the English language. As from imports from italy, well the italian economy is in such dire straits at the moment (many Italians blame the euro for this) that no doubt Italian exporters are pleased to find buyers for their products.

I get the feeling he is just trying to neutralise the issue as he knows the only chance he has of being elected leader of a largly eurosceptic party is by ditching his own europhile views.

The next thing he'll come out all anti-smoking and have a go at the tobacco industry.:hihi:

Indeed. What a boorish and obnoxious oaf he is. This pudgy and smarmy creep would be a prime candidate for inclusion on Timo's slappability thread were it to be extended to politicians. Not content with raking in huge amounts of wonga from the tobacco industry for peddling products of proven lethality, this smug, suede shoed charlatan (who incidentally has been proven wrong on every major economic issue) is now seeking to boost his already over-inflated ego by seeking to become Tory party leader. Unfortunately, the Tories don't have a good track record with regard to choosing leaders recently, so its possible that this fat, self-regarding slob, accompanied by his baggage of out-dated and failed policies and opinions, will be elevated to the post of leader.

Originally posted by LordChaverly
Indeed. What a boorish and obnoxious oaf he is. This pudgy and smarmy creep would be a prime candidate for inclusion on Timo's slappability thread were it to be extended to politicians. Not content with raking in huge amounts of wonga from the tobacco industry for peddling products of proven lethality, this smug, suede shoed charlatan (who incidentally has been proven wrong on every major economic issue) is now seeking to boost his already over-inflated ego by seeking to become Tory party leader. Unfortunately, the Tories don't have a good track record with regard to choosing leaders recently, so its possible that this fat, self-regarding slob, accompanied by his baggage of out-dated and failed policies and opinions, will be elevated to the post of leader.

LordChaverly!

There is no need for you to spit this venomous bile for all to have the misfortune to read! You don’t even know the guy and so have no right what so ever to call him boorish an obnoxious oaf or a fat slob, no matter what your personal feelings are!

This is just a thinly masked attack on the Tory party and on a person who is by far more successful, richer and obviously has better social skills than yourself!

Originally posted by serapis
LordChaverly!

There is no need for you to spit this venomous bile for all to have the misfortune to read! You don’t even know the guy and so have no right what so ever to call him boorish an obnoxious oaf or a fat slob, no matter what your personal feelings are!

This is just a thinly masked attack on the Tory party and on a person who is by far more successful, richer and obviously has better social skills than yourself!

Well, I will agree he is a lot richer (partly due to the enormous wads of cash he receives from the tobacco industry). As far as your other key points are concerned, its not 'a thinly masked attack on the Tory party'. It is an attack on one of its members (who incidentally many other members of the party can't stand either). As for him having 'better social skills' than myself, I am mystified as to how you are in a position to judge. My dislike of him has nothing to do with a feeling of envy for his 'success'.

Originally posted by slimsid2000
The next thing he'll come out all anti-smoking and have a go at the tobacco industry.:hihi:

I have been expecting that to happen for a few years now... :suspect: