Ex-PM Brown says Britain needs to hear passion for EU membership

"My message is be positive, be principled and be patriotic, and put the case with passion," Gordon Brown, said in a speech hosted by the Centre for European Reform in London. "It would be a tragedy if those people who say Britain should leave the European Union were identified as the patriotic group, and those who wanted to stay in were seen in some way as standing up for Europe against Britain."

..."If the European Union was not in existence, it would have to be invented to deal with the problems on our doorstep," he said. "Cooperation in Europe makes us safer and more secure. This positive argument 'For' can convince doubters, even sceptics."

Brown, who prevented Britain adopting the euro currency during his 10 years as finance minister, said Prime Minister David Cameron's government had gone too far to distance itself from the eurozone.

"If you want to get the balance right between autonomy and cooperation here, we must insist that there is no Berlin Wall between the euro area and non-euro area countries," he said.
"I don't think we should give up this idea that we should push our way in (Europe) when it's important to us," he said.