HOW MANY LEGACIES DOES A MAN NEED?

Blair targets 2007 to scrap the pound (Brian Brady ,Scotland on Sunday, October 3rd, 2004)

Tony Blair is fighting for a third term as Prime Minister in a bid to take Britain into the single European currency within three years and guarantee his legacy.

Blair is convinced he can persuade the British people to ditch the pound, and Downing Street strategists have earmarked the autumn of 2007 for a referendum on the issue.

Labour sources believe a victory in a euro vote might give Blair an exit strategy that would enable him to leave mid-term with his reputation intact while allowing time for his successor to prepare for the next election.

But the move is certain to increase the tensions between Blair and Gordon Brown, whose attitude to the euro is known to be much cooler than the Prime Minister’s. Last night, one Brown ally accused Blair of pursuing a "vanity Premiership". [...]

Downing Street has earmarked the autumn of 2007 as the optimum date for a referendum after private polling and the results of focus group interviews presented to Blair over the summer suggested the overwhelming gap between those who would vote against entering the euro and the ‘‘Yes’’ camp was narrowing.

It isn’t easy to figure him out.