LONDON. June 5: British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s aides today dismissed a fresh report of a split In the Labour government over policy towards the euro, says Reuters.

The Times reported that Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) Gordon Brown was under pressure from cabinet colleagues and trade union chiefs to adopt a more positive approach to the European single currency or risk Britain never Joining.

"The position on the euro is well-known and has not changed and will not change during the course of this parliament." a spokesman for Blair told Reuters.

“I would caution you against yet another ‘cabinet splits on the euro' story because they’re as old as the euro Itself." he said.

The Times said pro-Euro-

pean ministers and members of parliament were increasingly frustrated with the government’s strategy on the euro, regarding It as too timid.

The ministers, together with union leaders favouring British entry, planned to launcli an offensive to persuade the government to speak up for the potential benefits lor Britain if It joined the slngh’ currency, the newspaper said.

Il said the campaign would Inc luding a direct appeal to Blair to put pressure on Brown over his insistence that the issue should be played down" until after the next general election, due by May 2002

The ministers leading the way Included Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, Trade Secretary Stephen Byers and Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson, the Times said

Blair has said he favours

Joining the euro after the next general election subject to the right economic conditions and approval by Britons in a referendum

Opposition Conservative leader William Hague, buoyed by regular opinion polls showing that most Britons are sceptical about the euro, is campaigning on a "save the pound" ticket.

But he faced problems from within his own party on Monday when six prominent pro-Enropean Conservatives — in-c hiding former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine and ex-finance minister Kenneth Clarke — used the 25th anniversary of a referendum (hat took Britain into Europe to Issue a rallying cry.

It was In the national Interest for the party to "continue to push for Britain to be at the heart of Europe".