Blair in Noordwijk

Blair Takes Jobs Crusade to Sweden

He wants pan-European backing for the package of measures announced yesterday by the Chancellor Gordon Brown designed to boost job creation across the European Union.

Mr Blair has already laid some groundwork for his campaign. In an article published in a Swedish newspaper, he has written of the need to mount "a crusade against unemployment and for flexible labour markets".

He describes the tackling of unemployment as "the most immediate challenge" facing the European Union, returning to the theme he first took up when he met EU leaders in Noordwijk on May 23.

But Mr Blair also writes that the idea of adopting an Employment Chapter - as suggested by Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson - at the forthcoming Amsterdam Summit might not be such a good idea.

He says, "We must be sure that in taking action to to create jobs we do not...damage Europe's global competitiveness. To be unemployed because of a government's good intentions does not make the situation any more pleasant. The risk that the Employment Chapter might backfire, putting in jepoardy more jobs than it creates, is not one I am prepared to take."

Instead, Mr Blair stresses the need for flexibility by both workers and management, underpinned by proper minimum standards in the workplace.

While in Sweden, the Prime Minister will also meet Dutch premier Wim Kok to discuss the Amsterdam Summit.

The two, who struck up a good relationship when they met in London last month, are expected to review progress towards agreeing a Treaty at Amsterdam, although there are still points of conflict.

Mr Blair is holding out for recognition of Britain's right to control its own borders to be included in the Treaty, and there is tension over asylum and immigration issues and justice and home affairs.

Afterwards, he will go to Germany on Friday to meet Chancellor Kohl. On the agenda there will be the Eurofighter project and Germany's problems in meeting the Maastricht criteria on the Single European Currency.

Mr Blair became the eighth socialist head of government when he won last month's general election, leaving socialists outnumbering the centre-right among Europe's leaders.

The socialists' victory in France just a month later has added to the triumphal feeling among the centre-left of Europe.