Mr Brown was criticised for the way his department briefs journalists
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A former key adviser to Tony Blair has criticised Gordon Brown for undermining the chances of a 'yes' vote in the EU constitution referendum.
Sir Stephen Wall attacked Treasury press briefings and said that less senior people in the government felt intimidated out of arguing the EU case.
He said the briefings against the EU happened "as regularly as clockwork" when Mr Brown met with EU colleagues.
If the Treasury was not reined in the referendum vote "would be lost".
Undermined?
Sir Stephen who now works for the Catholic church, but until recently was the prime minister's EU adviser, believes that Britain's position in the EU is being undermined by a failure on the part of ministers to make a proper case.
"One of the reasons is that Tony Blair very skilfully secured the support of the Murdoch press for Labour and the Murdoch press is anti-Europe," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"I am not sure that it was part of the deal but everyone knows where the Sun newspaper is coming from and there's always the question of 'do you put it at risk'."
'Cheap shot'
Sir Stephen, who was previously British ambassador to the EU, said successive British Governments had not been sure "how to play" Europe with the voters.
He argued that despite his criticisms of Mr Brown, the chancellor was not fundamentally anti-European.
But he added: "It's all too easy to put stories in the newspapers which are basically equivalent to saying 'I Gordon Brown am off to Brussels to smack Romano Prodi in the mouth'.
"If you come back and say 'please vote for Europe in a referendum because that's a good thing' people are inclined to think 'well actually that's not what they were telling us five minutes ago'."
British ministers should "resist the temptation to go for the cheap shot that wins you a plaudit the next day in the Sun newspaper" rather than making a proper case for the benefits of EU membership.
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