Quotes

"There are some in the country who fear that in going into Europe we shall in some way sacrifice independence and sovereignty...these fears, I need hardlysay, are completely unjustified..."
Edward Heath, to the House of Commons, in 1972

"We'll negotiate withdrawal from the EEC which has drained our natural resources and destroyed jobs."
Tony Blair, personal election manifesto 1983

"Earlier this year, the Prime Minister said that if the European Constitution were about fundamental change, he would hold a referendum. He has told his Cabinet in secret that it is absolutely fundamental. So where is the referendum?"
Iain Duncan Smith, to the House of Commons, 10th September 2003

"The most important thing for my business is economic stability and the best way of achieving this is by keeping control of our economy by keeping the pound"
Joel Cadbury, Chief Executive, Longshot Ltd

"One must never forget that monetary union, which the two of us were the first to propose more than a decade ago is ultimately a political project. It aims to give a new impulse to the historic movement towards union of the European states. Monetary union is a federative project that needs to be accompanied and followed by other steps."
Valery Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt, International Herald Tribune, 14th October 1997

"I don't believe we are talking about the whole thing blowing up, but my view is it will cause quite serious tensions...."
Eddie George, Bank of England Governor, The Sun, 3rd April 1998

"The process of monetary union goes hand in hand, must go hand in hand, with political integration and ultimately political union. EMU is, and was meant to be, a stepping stone on the way to a united Europe."
Wim Duisenberg, President, European Central Bank

"My view is if the economic tests give us a clear message that it would be in Britain's interest or that it would not be in Britain's disinterest - if it's zero or plus - I'd go for it … I think the political case is very strong and there is no constitutional objection. So if it was a 50/50 call I would still go for it."
Charles Clarke, Labour Party Chairman in the Times, 1 December, 2001

… [Mr. Clarke's comments are] "not a serious contribution to the debate…does anyone seriously think we are going to have some sort of 50-50 tests. Everyone knows what the policy is and it stays."
Treasury Official in the Sunday Business, 2 December, 2001

"The single currency is the greatest abandonment of sovereignty since the foundation of the European Community. It is a decision of an essentially political nature. We need this United Europe. We must never forget that the euro is an instrument for this project."
Felipe Gonzales, former Prime Minister of Spain, May 1998

"We ought to work on a common constitution to turn the European Union into an entity under international law—that is my goal. It is the decisive task of our time."
Joschka Fischer, German foreign minister, Berlin, 25th November, 1998

"We are entering a new phase of European politics. What is decisive is not only do we have a single currency area, but also that it is accompanied by a co-ordinated economic and financial policy. We must drive forward tax harmonisation in Europe."
Oskar Lafontaine, press conference after meeting with French finance minister Dominique Strauss Khan, November 16, 1998

"A signal must be sent that a single market and a single currency is not the end of the EU journey."
Victor Klima, Chancellor of Austria, at Poertschach, Austria, October 24, 1998

"The debate in the UK has always underestimated the momentum behind Economic and Monetary Union. Once a rocket is launched, there is no going back."
Yves-Thibault de Silguy, European Commissioner for Monetary Union, 25 November, 1998