Lessons from Denmark
Denmark's vote in a referendum not to join the European Single Currency should be a reminder to Tony Blair and his colleagues, if one were needed, of the scale of the task facing them in winning a future referendum to secure British participation in the Euro. When Prime Minister Rasmussen called the referendum he was well ahead in the opinion polls, and, anyway, all the major Danish political parties were in favour. Much of the Danish media was broadly sympathetic. Danish businesses almost unanimously thought it was a good idea. The polls indicated that on occasions over the past few months the "Yes" campaign was well ahead in public support, though the public also swung in the other direction on occasions as well. Yet Denmark said "Nej".
