Britannia Radio

Now that there seems to be a likelihood of the Coalition holding a repeat referendum of 1975 on ‘IN’ or ‘OUT’, I thought it would be useful for those on our side pressing for this referendum to take a look at what they might be up against based on the planned Britain in Europe campaign for the euro in 2003

85 Frampton Street

Today I am frightened! This is Thursday, 13th March 2003 and I have had a few hours to reflect on what I have seen and heard last night when I attended Britain in Europe's (B in E) so called Spring Reception at 85 Frampton Street just off elegant Edgware Road.

This was no routine meeting of B in E. This was in fact the launch of an awesome media machine (I have been told that B in E have are to have 400 staff - check) designed to lose us the referendum on keeping our age old national currency, the pound and pence, and at a stroke remove one of the main stumbling blocks to our absorption into the 'great' European Union, in the words of Hugo Young, "whether we like it or not".

Framton Street has been deliberately, in the words of the invitation, 'to be away from the Westminster world and at the heart of our preparations'. Clearly, Frampton Street is within easy access from the BBC Television Centre at nearby Wood Lane.

The building, a three story block, has had the ground floor smartly 'modernised' - fitted out (including wall panelling and false ceiling) as a media centre where, in the words of the main speaker, Kenneth Clarke, the figures of Government can be wielded in, in support of the campaign.

The reception was a stand up affair of, I would estimate, some 250 attendees (95 percent of whom were male and the majority getting on in years), with waitresses serving wine and canopies to this assembly of the great and the good (excepting of course me), - all 'suits'.

I recognised or noted from lapel badges several prominent people, Dennis McShane, Government Minister, Anthony Meyer of Margaret Thatcher stalking horse infamy, Ian Taylor Conservative MP and a few other MPs and MP’s assistants.

Most seemed to be functionaries of one sort or another, or retired. It seemed likely that some of my 250 were B in E staff, either from the Central Campaigning Office or from the regions. In spite of the hope expressed in my invitation: 'The objective is to build a genuine grass routes campaign’, but none of them looked to me to be grass roots as I understand the words to mean.

Hardly anyone looked as though they would have delivered a leaflet in their life or had any intention of doing so.

I should highlight the presence of Evan Davis, the BBC's economics correspondent.

I don't believe he was there in a media capacity, as it seemed not to be a media event (didn't see any signs of cameras or microphones). Could it be that Evan Davis is a member of B in E?, surely not. But to be sure Evan Davis would be a key man in promoting the euro, since Evan is most effective at appearing charming and non-partisan in his broadcasts. Watch this man I say. [note: 2007 shortly after this event Evan Davis made a very partisan television documentary on the euro – ‘Evan’s Euro Adventure’ – I have a copy and transcript of the programme].

I had deliberately arrived about 10 minutes late so as to be able to use the crowd as cover, but as it was I had nearly half an hour to fill attempting to be inconspicuous, which was difficult at 6ft 1 and not knowing anyone except, unfortunately, three I definitely did not want to meet. Prominent amongst these was our David Hurford Jones, Chairman of Oxfordshire's European Movement and one time Chairman of Witney Conservative Association and recent defector to New Labour and now Chairman of Cotswold Labour Party and a face I am sure I knew from my town, but could not place.

I managed to glide around the room avoiding being spotted by these people and eventually found myself picking up an empty bottle of beer (the only sign of such a low class drink in the room). I was quite intrigued as it was a Kentish brew and the bottle had a rustic appearance. Picking it up and examining it gave me something to do whilst I waited for the speechmaking.

This prolonged examination of this empty beer bottle soon attracted the attention of a Dr *** who came across to me and started to tell me about the beer. Dr *** was from Kent, Kent born and bread in fact, from Tunbridge Wells and on enquiry he informed me that he was Chairman of 'Kent in Europe' (amazing that, I would never have guessed that Kent was in Europe) and had done his doctorate on the Tamil Tigers. Tamil Tigers, what an interesting subject to study, and I wondered to myself whether this portended anything significant for our future and our struggle for independence. Anyway Dr *** was quite affable and saved me from sticking out like a sore thumb. I was able to avoid, apart form letting him know that I was form Oxfordshire, telling him anything about myself. Soon (about 7pm) the speakers were being introduced, first it was Sir ? Miles of Knightsbridge one time (or is he still?) Chairman of British Airways, obviously a good man to have on board, and one must wonder how much of BA's current profitability is due to spending on B in E.

Sir ? Miles, didn't have anything ground breaking to tell us excepting that the building we were in was the Campaign Centre for Britain in Europe’s effort to sell this country down the drain (no he didn't put it in those terms, but that was what I was thinking). He told us there were regional offices of B in E across the country in Britain's major cities, but did not identify where or how many.

Then it was our Ken (Clarke); I had spoken to him informally at the Conservative leadership contest in Cheltenham two years ago, where he had eye balled me rather unnervingly after he had answered my question on the Irish referendum on Nice, telling me that the Irish would have to vote again.

Ken was in good form and mildly funny at times, no mumbling this evening, Ken was on a mission. Here are a few of the highlights of what he told us:

* the media room (about the same size as DM's floor space at Beaufort Mews, but with more doors leading off to space of unknown size) was normally used as a campaigning office but the furniture had been removed for the evening's event.

* mentioned that the two floors above were part of the campaign facilities

* Ken asked the audience to help the campaign funds by digging into our pockets before leaving, but I could only assume that this was a sort of cover to make us believe that they were not as awash with funds, as they must in fact, be when taking into account these and other regional facilities they now have aquired.

* Ken pointedly said that it was no use having all these facilities if there was no grass roots membership available to exploit and/or compliment them. Again I wondered whether this was Ken covering up the fact that they don't really care about grass roots, as they are going to depend wholly on the media facilities they have set up and the complicity of the broadcast media and some elements of the press.

* Ken claimed that he had not the faintest idea when a referendum might be held and claimed he had not been able to get into the brain of Tony Blair or Gordon Brown, but he felt sure that, in spite of all reports to the contrary, that Gordon Brown was in truth in favour of Britain joining the single currency [well he managed to fail the 5 tests spectacularly since, but now has now signed the Constitution (so called Reform Treaty) – later Lisbon Treaty].

* Ken said: notwithstanding the uncertainty, we must continue to be prepared for a referendum, be it this Autumn, next year or some year after. I found it hard to believe that Ken had not been given some inside information which he was not letting us in on, why else would they have gone to all the trouble and expense of setting up the

85 Framton Street facility and all the regional offices?

If they genuinely don't know when the referendum will be called are they going to indefinitely maintain these facilities and staff them [In fact they closed a couple of months later when Gordon Brown announced that four of the 5 tests had failed] and to what level will they staff them in the meantime.

Suggestion for our side: Clearly the staffing levels will be a good indicator of what's going on and I would suggest that a regular monitoring of staffing levels at 85 Frampton Street be made (say on a weekly basis) by watching who and how many people report for work each morning (watching out at side entrances as well as the main entrance). By getting a measure of activity now, we would have a yardstick to measure future trends against. It would also be useful to find out where the regional offices are and have those monitored too.

* Ken informed us that he thought they could win a referendum, but in saying this he did not seem to be brewing over with confidence. He said that things had always gone his way in the past and he had been on the winning side, but that his lucky streak had not held up recently, but hoped it would return [well eight years on 9March 2011) he’s still in there - in charge of injustice].

* Ken said that he was in favour of a union of nation states but this seemed to me to be at odds with his backing for Giscard d'Estaing's Constitutional Forum (or whatever the word for it is) for the EU. He said that 16 clauses had already been presented and that the rest could be teased out if you knew where to look.

He was scathing of 'sceptics' coming out with papers criticising the constitutional proposals and with their outcry at loss of freedoms and civil liberties involved when there have been 2000 amendments tabled. Ken thought that the discussions would continue into 2004 before final proposals were reached.

Ken did not at any time advocate a referendum should be put to the people for a decision. This of course is not surprising.

* Ken highlighted the fact that the Iraq crisis had thrown EU issues into the background but that they will become even more prominent in 3 or 4 months time as the crisis ebbs [!!].

Ken said that Iraq had divided the EU into Germany, France and its supporters and Britain, Spain, Italy and its supporters, on the other hand, but considered that the "divide between us was not nearly as great as it appeared" and all would be well.

*Ken said that the EU must adopt a common foreign and defence policy to prevent recurrence of nations going off and doing their own thing. This would enable Europe to, not compete with the USA on an equal footing, but to allow Europe to influence their policy in a meaningful way (meaning unlike Britain is doing at present).

* Ken seemed a bit ambiguous on his vision of the EU/USA relationship mentioning several times the Atlantic Alliance (I presume that he was talking about the British/USA Alliance - after all Ken is on the payroll of British America Tobacco).

* Ken expressed surprise at the decision of the EU to enlarge from 15 to 25 states in one go when the decision making structure, in his view, was inadequate for the 15 present members and needed restructuring before the smaller nations could upset the decision making process.

When Ken Clarke finished it was about 7.30 and we were asked to continue milling around until close, set for 8.30pm. I noticed a few people were retrieving their coats from the cloakroom facility and decided that it would be judicious to beat a hasty retreat before any eyeballing took place. In fact the strain of avoiding the faces I knew was enough and I quickly departed handing in my lapel badge as I was the first to leave.

Suggestions

1. Monitor activity at 85 Frampton Street

2. Find out location of regional offices and perhaps monitor those as well

3. Find out their funding and sources - surely these have to be made public. This information should be publicised as widely as possible and a fuss made to the Referendum Commission

4. I know this might be pie in the sky, but it would be desirable for us to set up a media facility in London at least to attract and even compel the press, BBC, ITV etc. to hear and broadcast our side of the story.

I hope that the information is useful and provides some food for thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx db