UPHELD in quick time today is this newspaper's forecast that Labour's coyness over joining the pro-European cause would diminish in the wake of the Tories' increased hostility to the EU. For today Tony Blair, Chancellor Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary Robin Cook piled on to the platform for the launch of the cross-party Britain in European campaign.

Despite a previous display of jitters the Labour leadership had, of course, already signalled its support for this group which, though dressed up as a "patriotic alliance" to reaffirm UK commitment to the future of the EU, is widely regarded as a campaign vehicle for Britain's entry to the single currency.

The government insists it has not signed up to any such sub-plot, maintaining that its policy on the euro remains that of "prepare and decide."

But just as William Hague professes that Tory policy towards the EU remains that of "In Europe, but not ruled by Europe" and has not hardened to one preparing for withdrawal following his pledge to renegotiate Britain's membership, Labour has been swift to take advantage.

For witness the deliberate design in Tony Blair's invitation to Downing Street, in advance of today's Britain in Europe launch, of former Cabinet ministers Kenneth Clarke and Michael Heseltine, the twin icons of Tory dissent for the now hardened-up Hague stance on EU. At a stroke, Labour encourages renewed civil war over Europe in the party that was hurled into Opposition by the very same issue.

At the same time, it brands the Tories as an out-and-out anti-EU party - with Mr Hague having handed them the ploy by lurching away from his cautious "in Europe" commitment to a stance which his enemies are now branding as a policy for pulling out.

His mistake, it seems, was not sticking to the prime issue of the the euro and building on the success the Tories had gathered in being the only party that would save the pound.

That policy - "In Europe, but not in the euro" - was one that appealed to the voters and had Labour looking shifty and evasive about joining Britain to the single currency.

Mr Hague would do well to get himself and his party back to that position, but he may have gone too far to the Right already.

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