- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday August 29 2000 03.29 BST
William Hague was urged last night to disassociate himself from a rightwing Tory Euro-MP who is to address the annual congress of an ultra-nationalist Danish party which supports the repatriation of refugees.
The foreign secretary, Robin Cook, joined pro-European Tories in calling on him to rein in Daniel Hannan, MEP for south-east England, who is helping the Danish People's party (DPP) campaign for a no vote in next month's euro referendum in Denmark.
The DPP, often compared to the Austrian ultra-nationalist Freedom party, wants to see paedophiles castrated, refugees repatriated, aid to the third world privatised, and Denmark kept for the Danes.
Some of its members have likened economic and monetary union to Hitler's failed attempt to foist the Reichsmark on occupied Europe.
Mr Cook said Mr Hannan's plan to address the congress showed that he was the "unacceptable face of the modern Tory party".
He added: "If William Hague wants the British people to trust him in government he should now take action to stamp out this extremism and prevent Daniel Hannan from speaking at this conference."
His criticism was echoed by the pro-European former Tory minister Ian Taylor, who said: "I hope that the Conservative party regards the activities of Daniel Hannan as entirely unofficial and disassociates itself from him. Mr Hannan should keep his nose out of Danish politics."
The DPP is the only political party in Denmark willing to accept up to £100,000 raised by Mr Hannan in his anti-euro campaign, run from his Westminister flat. The euro will be a central theme of its two-day congress in Vejle, Jutland.
Mr Hannan is the special guest speaker on Sunday, and is due to deliver a 40-minute speech on the evils of the euro, an event which is likely to attract widespread media coverage in Denmark.
"We have a tradition that we find somebody from outside every year, and this year it's Daniel Hannan," a member of the DPP board, Carl Christian Ebbesen, said. "We agree on lots of things and are very much like the British Conservative party in some ways. We were allies in world war two and we don't mind if the Brits come here again and help us."
He said the DPP had yet to receive any funds from the Tories to fight its "keep the krone" campaign, but he hoped Mr Hannan would soon hand some over. He admitted that no other Danish political party would touch Mr Hannan's money. "It's easier for us to take the money."
Another party member confirmed that Mr Hannan was "the main contact" on all matters to do with the euro.
The Tories believe that if Denmark says no to the euro on September 28 it will help their "keep the pound" campaign and deal a mortal blow to the single currency.
Mr Hannan's speech is unlikely to be welcomed by the Danish public or any other political party in Denmark. They strongly resent attempts by outsiders to influence the result of the referendum.
Officials from the Danish Conservative party, which is campaigning for a yes vote, say Mr Hannan's interference is "irritating" but add that by the time their party found out about it, it was too late to bring pressure to bear on the British Conservative party to stop him.
"There will be 20 minutes with him on Danish TV but that will be it. It doesn't really play a major role and will have no impact whatsoever," the party's international secretary, Lars Kjolbye, said.
Holger Nielsen, leader of the Socialist People's party, which wants a no vote, said help from the Tories was no help at all. News that they are raising money for an anti-euro advertising campaign in Denmark had been "extremely damaging" to the no camp.
Mr Hannan said: "I'm not going to tell them how to vote but say what's happening in the UK and why so many people are against the euro, so that they are aware when they vote. I'd happily make this speech to a yes organisation, or to another organisation which invited me."
Asked about the DPP's views on other issues, he said: "It's not for foreigners to decide."
