Noisy fire protest greets Blair

Tony Blair is greeted at the Old Library

Prime Minister Tony Blair has been met by noisy protests from around 250 striking firefighters on his arrival in Cardiff to deliver a keynote speech on Europe.

Firefighters from across south Wales, Avon, Gloucestershire and London marched the few hundred yards from Cardiff's central fire station to the city's Marriott Hotel for the prime minister's arrival on Thursday afternoon.

As Mr Blair's fleet of vehicles swept up to the hotel entrance the entourage was met by the deafening sound of klaxons from the firefighters.

Tony Blair spoke at the Old Library in Cardiff

Earlier, firefighters held a mock funeral procession through the centre of the city - led by an "undertaker" in a Tony Blair mask - for what they say would be the death of the fire service under the modernisation reforms the government wants to bring in.

The firefighters left their picket in the Welsh capital ready to stage a silent protest outside the Marriot Hotel where Mr Blair is due to attend a fundraising Labour Party dinner later.

Cardiff firefighter Clive Protheroe said: "We are here to protest against the death of the British fire service as a result of cuts in the guise of modernisation by the government.

"We have come from all over south Wales and will be making our presence felt throughout Mr Blair's stay in Cardiff.

"The prime minister is reported to be preparing a landmark pro-European speech, calling for a stronger and more democratic European Union.

Firefighters are sceptical about pay talks

The firefighters, members of the Fire Brigades Union, have called on other trade unionists to boycott the evening event in protest at the government's handling of the fire dispute.

The union claims the Blair administration has been misleading the public about the pay dispute and the way it wants to bring in reforms of the service.

Stand-in military fire fighting crews using Green and Red Goddess machines have been called to more than 250 blazes, road accidents and flooding incidents during the seven days of the current eight-day stoppage.

Mr Blair's visit was expected to be in the spotlight even without the firefighters taking the opportunity to demonstrate as part of their industrial action in support of a 40% pay claim.

The pro-Europe speech he is tipped to deliver is likely to please supporters of the Euro who are looking for signs of an early entry into the single European currency.

Aides say he is determined to call a referendum before the next general election.

Mr Blair's visit to Wales is expected to herald a turning point in attitudes to Europe.

Majority voting

He is tipped to call for the EU to take on more powers and to become a bigger force - but not a federal superstate.

He will argue that more majority voting will be needed to prevent gridlock in decision-making when the 15-nation bloc admits 10 new members in 2004.

The general theme of his speech will be that the EU should take on a bigger role by being "democratised rather than centralised".

And he will say that the way to ensure democratic legitimacy is not to hand more power to Brussels.

Decisions

Instead, the roles of the European Council, which is composed of the leaders of the 15 EU members, and the Council of Ministers, which includes ministers from the member states, should be increased.

Mr Blair will call for the appointment of a powerful president of the European Council, who would become the EU's figurehead on the world stage and implement the decisions taken by the leaders.

He is expected to say the president would replace the current system where one country holds the presidency for six months.