Euro: Support for Joining

Lord Robathan Excerpts

Monday 9th May 2016 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Robathan]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish a list of organisations and individuals in public life, including Members of both Houses of Parliament, who have previously urged that the United Kingdom should join the euro.

[Lord Ashton of Hyde (Con)]

My Lords, no, the Government have no plans to publish such a list. The Prime Minister has been clear that Britain will never join the euro.

[Lord Robathan (Con)]

My Lords, when the CBI warns that a million jobs may be lost should we leave the EU, it is spookily reminiscent of what it said during the euro debate and uses exactly the same arguments. If my noble friend will not publish a list, will he encourage those who told us that terrible things would happen if we did not join the euro to fess up before they tell the British public that there will be a disaster if we leave the EU?

[Lord Ashton of Hyde]

My Lords, it depends on who my noble friend has been listening to. The Treasury assessment and analysis was clear at the time that it was not in Britain’s interest to join the euro. Many other experts, such as the Governor of the Bank of England, the IMF and the OECD, also raised concerns about Britain joining the euro. They are now unanimous that Britain should remain in the EU.