Cook sparks euro-rift speculation

Gordon Brown: No change of policy

More speculation about a rift within the cabinet on the European single currency has been fuelled - hours before Chancellor Gordon Brown was due to deliver a speech on the government's euro policy.

Mr Brown is reported to be preparing to use his set-piece Mansion House speech to hit back at colleagues who are said to be pressing for early membership of the euro.

This government will not let Britain lose out by staying out

Draft of Robin Cook's speech

But Foreign Secretary Robin Cook dropped key sections of a speech he had been due to give in Parliament, warning of the dangers of being left out.

He had been due to warn that the UK could one day be the only EU country with its own currency.

Downing Street denied the Treasury had intervened to oblige Mr Cook to omit the controversial passages.

Sections dropped

Mr Brown is expected to issue criticism of ministers such as Mr Cook, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson and Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers, who are said to be pushing for a high-profile pro-euro campaign in the run up to the general election.

He is also expected to reiterate the need for the UK economy to pass five strict criteria before Britain signs up.

A draft of Mr Cook's speech had been issued in advance. But he left out four key sections:

Mr Cook was due to say that if the economic conditions were met, it would be "right in principle for Britain to join and wrong in principle to rule it out. This government will not let Britain lose out by staying out."

He was also due to say it was "not difficult to identify why there would be benefits for Britain in joining a single currency".

He had been due to say that Britain would only be ready if "we now resolve in principle that we want to be a member".

He had been due to say that if Denmark and Sweden join, Britain "could be the only member state outside the Euro zone".

Downing Street said the Foreign Secretary was an accomplished parliamentary performer and he had been interrupted by Conservative MPs.

"What he said, or didn't say, doesn't depart in any way from the policy," a spokesman for the prime minister said.

The Chancellor's Mansion House Speech on Thursday evening will be streamed live on BBC News Online