The Great Euro Swindle

A great read.

As Andrew Stuttaford writes:

This magnificent Spectator polemic by Peter Oborne (the author of two of the finest books on recent British politics in recent decades: The Triumph of the Political Class and The Rise of Political Lying) and Frances Weaver on British supporters of the euro is a must-read, and not only for Brits. In just a few paragraphs, the authors offer up a classic example of how the groupthink of a small elite clique in media, politics and the corporatist establishment can distort and suppress debate and set a country — any country — on the path to disaster. And yes, U.S. immigration policy since 1965 comes to mind.

Although there are many villains, the BBC is one of the most blameworthy:

As Rod Liddle, then editor of the Radio 4’s Today programme, said: ‘The whole ethos of the BBC and all the staff was that Eurosceptics were xenophobes and there was an end to it. The euro would come up at a meeting and everybody would just burst out laughing about the Eurosceptics.’ Liddle recalls one meeting with a very senior figure at the BBC to deal with Eurosceptic complaints of bias. ‘Rod, the thing you have to understand is that these people are mad. They are mad.’

In truth the Eurosceptics were only too sane. Politicians like Margaret Thostaer, John Redwood, David Owen, William Hague and Bill Cash were mocked — often very cruelly — at the time. But they grasped with stunning clarity the problems the euro would bring. They deserve full credit for their courage and foresight today, and our gratitude too.

posted by Ace at 01:38 PM

| Access Comments