Union leader attacks Brown over euro

Sterling's strength against the euro hurts manufacturing

One of the leaders of the campaign to get the UK to adopt the euro is to criticise Chancellor Gordon Brown for "ducking the issue".

Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union general secretary Sir Ken Jackson is expected to say that the government is in danger of having a "wait-and-see policy which crumbles in the general election".

We cannot avoid the issue

Sir Ken Jackson

Sir Ken Jackson's criticisms will emerge at the AEEU's industrial conference in Blackpool on Monday.

Pro-euro Labour politicians remain divided on the political approach to persuading the UK to adopt the euro.

The AEEU leader will ask the government to convene a special summit to discuss help for the UK's steel industry, which is under pressure because of the strong pound.

He is a board member of the pro-euro Britain In Europe group and will tell conference delegates that inward investors have been expressing concerns to him for months about the dangers of staying outside the common currency.

Sir Ken Jackson: Strong attack on the Chancellor

"We cannot avoid the issue of the single currency during the general election," he will say.

"It is naive to assume it will not be the defining theme.

"Without a clear and credible policy we will crumble at the first sign of debate."

He believes that three million jobs are dependent on UK entry to the euro.

His comments will follow shortly after European Commission President Romano Prodi said the UK would find it "difficult" to stay out of a successful single currency.

Cabinet split

Mr Prodi predicted that the strength of sterling would increase pressure for British entry to the euro.

He told BBC Two's On The Record programme on Sunday that "if the euro will deliver, as I think, it would be difficult to stay out".

The AEEU general secretary is scheduled to share a pro-euro platform with ex-Conservative Chancellor Kenneth Clarke even as he falls out with Gordon Brown.

The chancellor is thought to be one of those Cabinet ministers who want Labour to remain quiet on the issue of a single European currency until after the next general election.

The opposite view is believed to be held by an alliance of Peter Mandelson, Robin Cook and Stephen Byers, who think that the government should be take much more of a leading role in the euro debate.

Sir Ken Jackson is thought to be representative of this latter group with his criticisms of Mr Brown.