Any decision to sign up to the euro had to be based on a "comprehensive and rigorous" assessment. His comments contrasted with the Prime Minister's speech to the Labour Party conference two months ago, in which Mr Blair said the Government should have the "courage" to hold a referendum before a general election if the tests had been met.Mr Brown told the Confederation of British Industry: "To short-cut or fudge the assessment, and to join in the wrong way or on the wrong basis without rigorously ensuring the tests are met, would not be in the national interest. Because the Government is determined [to] make the right long-term decisions for Britain, we will not take the risks with Britain's hard-won stability."It is only on this basis that the Cabinet will decide whether to recommend membership to Parliament and then to the British people," he said.The Government has said that it will complete its assessment of the five tests before May 2003. Mr Brown published further details of the testsThe five tests are: convergence between the British and European economies, flexibility to deal with economic shocks, investment into the UK, the competitiveness of the City and whether joining will promote growth and employment.The results of preliminary work by the Treasury appear to add new tests. On the issue of convergence, it said the tests would look at trade links, the behaviour of the housing market, how different sectors of the UK operated and how the Bank of England's policy compared with that of the European Central Bank. The Chancellor delighted the pro-euro lobby with news that the Government would post advice on preparations for monetary union to 1.5 million small and medium-sized companies.

He also revealed public spending on preparations for the euro had risen to £23m.Mr Brown told the CBI that the Government's policy was still one of "pro-euro realism. We believe that, in principle, membership of the euro can bring benefits to Britain.". Michael Howard, the shadow Chancellor, said: "No one should be deceived by Gordon Brown's tough talk. This is all designed to soften people up so that when the Chancellor says that his so-called tests have been met, people are deceived into thinking that it actually means something.". Tony Blair has become a presidential figure wielding "powers that would make Stalin blush", a senior Labour MP says in a new book. Tony Blair has become a presidential figure wielding "powers that would make Stalin blush", a senior Labour MP says in a new book. Graham Allen, who served as a whip before the last general election, calls for wide-ranging reform of Parliament to increase the accountability of government and suggested the prime minister be chosen by direct presidential elections.In The Last Prime Minister, which is sure to reignite the debate over the Government's dominance of Parliament, Mr Allen says the Prime Minister's power is now almost un-checked. He calls on Parliament and the Cabinet to "get off their knees" and rebuild themselves as a counterbalance to a presidency that is "filling a vacuum".Mr Allen says: "Instead of a healthy balance we have an executive, the UK presidency, which stands like an 800lb gorilla alongside a wizened legislature and judiciary."He launches an attack on the decline of Parliament, warning that MPs "stand like cowed and malnourished dependants, the latest victims of generations of abuse accepted as normality, rather than separate, lively checks on the executive".Britain should "embrace" a new presidential constitution.

The Queen would still be head of state, with direct elections to select the prime minister as head of the executive. The presidential style of government "inadvertently suffocates initiative at every lower level. Modern government is full of bright and capable people, many of whom have been deep-ly frustrated by the top-down culture, which they feel they cannot change or influence."He attacks the long decline of cabinet government, arguing that Downing Street officials increasingly deal with issues without cabinet ministers being present."Working with Tony Blair in Opposition, I became used to the constant cancellation of team meetings and of the need to influence events informally; a style which has carried on in government. One cabinet minister told me, 'The PM just does not like large meetings'."Mr Allen calls for reform of the Commons, urging MPs to invite experts to address Parliament. He suggests television interviewers host debates in the Commons.