Blair a misquote away from the euro
Brazilian interview error has PM signing up to single currency
Special report: economic and monetary union
Michael White in London and Alex Bellos in Rio de Janeiro Thursday August 9, 2001 The Guardian
As political epitaphs go, it was quite simply sensational.
When Tony Blair was asked how he would like to be remembered in the history books his answer appeared unequivocal: as the man who changed socialism and help erradicate debt in the world's poorest countries, he said.
Oh, and also the prime minister who took Britain into European Monetary Union.
That last statement given to the 1.2m circulation Brazilian magazine Veja was political dynamite. It represented a seismic shift in Britain's position on Europe. It meant the prime minister, always so cautious with his euro language, always aware of the views of his Eurosceptic chancellor, was declaring full speed ahead into the euro.
And he was declaring it with apparent pride.
But as terrified Downing Street press officers last night scrambled to make sense of their leader's conversion to euro zealotry, a red-faced Veja journalist was counting the cost of a slipped-in word.
And what would have been the story of the day became an embarrassing error.
At the end of an interview, conducted before his tripartite summit with the presidents of Brazil and Argentina at the Iguazu Falls, Mr Blair was asked: "You have the chance to become the first Labour leader to complete two terms at the head of the English government. How would you like to be remembered in the history books in 100 years time?"
According to the magazine, Mr Blair replied: "As the socialist who changed socialism, as the prime minister who took England to monetary union with the other European countries, as the Labour leader who fulfilled his obligations for the reduction of the external debt of the world's poorest countries. "
Unfortunately the words monetary union should have read "European Union". From seismic shift to status quo in four syllables.
Last night Veja admitted the error, much to the relief of Downing Street, which initially denied the story by saying: "We do not recognise the quote." But with no tape-recording of its own, Downing Street must have felt a tidal wave of headlines coming its way. Such is the potency of the single currency issue that any slight shift is leapt on with glee.
It had not been the first time in recent days that the prime minister had stepped into controversial euro waters.
Days before the six-day trade-and-diplomacy trip, which took Mr Blair from Jamaica to Brazil and Argentina before starting this week's holiday in Mexico, the Financial Times claimed that he and Mr Brown had agreed a timetable for the referendum - within two years - if the treasury's "five economic tests" are first passed.
During the trip Mr Blair was at pains to deny that his repeated demands for economic reform inside the EU - to set a good example of free trade to developing countries - did not amount to a "sixth test" for British euro-membership.
But No 10 has been caught on the hop. Alastair Campbell, Mr Blair's media guru, no longer accompanies him on such trips. Instead the new joint press secretary, Tom Kelly, a highly respected veteran of the Northern Ireland Office, sat in on the interview which followed a less "revelational" one with Globo, one of the world's biggest TV networks.