Blair lays out 'patriotic' Euro-vision

Mr Blair said that he could win a referendum on the Euro

Labour leader Tony Blair has made an impassioned plea for "patriotic" Britons to play a full part in the European Union.

Speaking in Scotland on the theme of Britain's standing in the modern world, the prime minister warned that isolationism would relegate the UK to the sidelines.

Mr Blair said the public would decide a referendum on whether Britain should joining the euro.

The Conservatives have spent the vast majority of this campaign focused on what they call their " Save the Pound" fight.

On Friday the leader William Hague was trying to drive home his party's plan for improving education, but also will put the Euro firmly back to the fore again when he addresses a rally in Manchester.

For his shadow cabinet colleague Michael Portillo, Labour's speeches on Europe are long on rhetoric and short on all-important detail.

"I have never heard the positive economic case for joining the euro put," he said.

"It's the Conservative Party that's defined both the economic issues and the political issues and has engaged in a serious debate on the issue."

The Liberal Democrats are keen to embrace Europe but they believe Labour have if anything, adopted a timid approach to the euro.

At Friday's news conference, they accused the Government of economic illiteracy and cowardice in not setting out measurable targets for entry into the single currency.

And the party leader Charles Kennedy was less than convinced that Tony Blair's speech would signal any significant shift in Labour's cautious policy.

It would have to be viewed beside the speech on the issue Mr Brown gave to the CBI earlier this week, he said.

"This game of hard cop, soft cop, has been going on this issue for the last four years," he said.