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To: IngotWeTrust who wrote (19344)	9/20/1998 4:42:00 AM
From: Alex	Respond to of 116764

Press barons unite in war on the euro By Rachel Sylvester, Political Editor MEDIA tycoons Rupert Murdoch and Conrad Black have joined forces to back the campaign to stop Britain joining the single European currency. They have personally pledged to support the "no" platform in the run-up to a referendum on replacing the pound with the euro. Senior Eurosceptics are confident that both newspaper proprietors will not only make the issue a personal crusade but will also give "substantial sums" of money to the cause. The news will be a massive blow to Tony Blair, who had hoped to win over the media to the merits of economic and monetary union before putting the issue to the country - and also appeared to have forged a good relationship with Mr Murdoch in recent months. The newspapers owned by Mr Murdoch and Mr Black, which have a combined weekday circulation of 5.5 million, and a million more than that on Sundays, are now almost certain to campaign against the Government ahead of the ballot. Mr Black, whose Hollinger group owns the Daily and the Sunday Telegraph, is understood to have already pledged around œ50,000 to Business for Sterling, a group of industrialists set up to campaign against EMU, chaired by former Labour transport minister Lord Marsh. According to sources close to the multi-millionaire newspaper proprietor, this is the "first stage" of a series of gifts. And Mr Murdoch, head of News International, which owns the Times and the Sun, recently wrote to Lord Marsh offering his support. Mr Murdoch has been in discussions for some time with a number of Eurosceptic organisations about a "major donation" to fight Brussels. Although the stance of the two proprietors is well known, the extent of their involvement in the anti-EMU drive will infuriate pro-European campaigners; 11 of the 15 EU nations switch to the euro in January next year. The joint effort is further evidence of a growing closeness between the two newspaper proprietors. Friends say they have been in contact since the Telegraph owner made a staunchly Eurosceptic speech in July, urging Britain to strengthen its ties with the US, rather than Europe. A spokesman for Mr Black had no comment, saying it was a "personal matter". But a spokesman for News International confirmed last night that Mr Murdoch had written to Lord Marsh, expressing his support for his aims. "(He) said he was sympathetic to his position but it would be totally wrong to suggest he was in any way bankrolling a campaign," the spokesman said. "The Sun and the Times are already Eurosceptical but that is an independent editorial decision." The support of the media moguls is seen as crucial to the campaign against the single currency. Ministers were concerned by a front-page headline in the Sun next to a picture of Mr Blair: "Is this the most dangerous man in Britain?" Business for Sterling has raised almost œ1.5m since it was set up this year. Lord Hanson, Sir Stanley Kalms, head of Dixons, and hotelier Sir Rocco Forte are among high-profile backers. independent.co.uk