LONDON -- It is a subject that most pragmatic politicians in Britain, including the prime minister and the front-runner for the leadership of the Conservative opposition, would prefer to ignore. Since the Tories were led toward electoral defeat in June by their obsession about Europe, the political establishment wants to banish the "E" word from its lexicon, encouraged by polls showing that it was among the lesser concerns of voters in the general election in June.

For Labour, Prime Minister Tony Blair hopes he can deliver better public services in his new term -- in health, education and transport -- to meet growing popular discontent. On the Tory side, the front-runner for the leadership, Kenneth Clarke, and his rival, Iain Duncan Smith, say they could run things better. But despite those polls that report the people are not too worried about their country's relations with the other members of the European Union, British politics are hung up on the cross-Channel issue.

It is no secret that Blair would like to lead Britain into the euro monetary zone during the coming four years. He has promised a referendum on the issue, though the date remains vague. He has good reason for caution; the opinion polls show that, on this aspect of European policy, a sizable majority of the electorate is against joining the common currency, with the strength of sterling and the need to bring it down to a more reasonable entry level adding a considerable complication.