[A-List] New Labour as the triumph of Cold War liberalism

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

We've covered MacShane's activities here before. A stalwart of the ICFTU
during the 1970s and 80s, setting up his own European labour research unit
and using it as a base from which to bombard dull periodicals like the New
Statesman with lots of mealy-mouthed parlour socialist fluff very much in
tune with contemporaneous political currents (Dromey syndrome with
subtlety), he's now a Blairite loyalist who is also chairman of the Fabian
Society and was last heard of slagging off Hugo Chavez when it looked like
the latter had been deposed, only to go into hiding when Chavez was restored
to power. As a Europe Minister he's the obvious replacement for Peter Hain,
although Hain retains his membership of Giscard D'Estaing's European
Convention, an indication of the pecking order (and, objectively, ability).


11.45am update
Denis MacShane named as Europe minister

Matthew Tempest, political correspondent
The Guardian
Monday October 28, 2002

Downing Street this morning put in place the final piece of its reshuffle
jigsaw when it was announced that Denis MacShane will take over from Peter
Hain as minister for Europe.

Mr Hain was promoted to cabinet level by when he became secretary of state
for Wales in the reshuffle following Estelle Morris' resignation.

Tony Blair sees the Europe job as a vital "salesman" role for any possible
referendum on a single currency during this parliament.

Mr MacShane is currently a minister of state at the Foreign Office, with
special responsibilities for the Balkans, the South Pacific and South
America.

His new job will mean taking up Mr Hain's rolling roadshow on the benefits
of the euro. There is a certain urgency about this task, as the prime
minister has set himself a deadline of June 2003 for deciding if the
chancellor's five economic tests have been met.

Work is underway in the Treasury on the issue - if the answer is positive,
then a decision will be taken at cabinet level to recommend euro entry
before a national referendum.

The Europe minister will play a crucial role in any such referendum. Mr
MacShane, the MP for Rotherham and a former journalist, is a media-savvy
operator, with a knack for headlines, jokes and sharp suits.

He once described himself as a "Eurosceptic who is profoundly pro-European",
but is in fact strongly pro-euro.

Bill Rammell, an assistant government whip, replaces Mr MacShane as a junior
Foreign Office minister.

The MP for Lincoln, Gillian Merron, enters the government for the first time
as Mr Rammell's replacement in the whips office.

Mr Hain keeps his post as a member of the convention planning reform of the
EU in addition to his new duties as Wales minister.

A spokesman for Britain in Europe welcomed the appointment of Mr MacShane,
saying he was a "long-standing supporter of Britain in Europe".

"But it would be wrong to draw an inference from this appointment on the
timing of a referendum on the euro - that will depend on the assessment of
the Treasury's five economic tests. Nothing more, nothing less," he added.

George Eustice, the campaign director of the No campaign, said Mr MacShane
was "obsessed" with the euro but dismissed suggestions that the appointment
was evidence of a pro-euro campaign.

"Denis MacShane has long been obsessed by the euro, but if the Government
was serious about launching a pro-euro campaign in the short term, they
would probably have appointed someone with more campaigning ability.

"However, the decision about whether or not to hold a referendum is will be
dominated by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and the rest of the cabinet will
have very little influence."