Simon Buckby, the campaign director of the pro-euro Britain in Europe campaign, announced his resignation yesterday.

Complaining that the government had suffered a loss of confidence over the euro and failed to follow a consistent strategy, he added that the campaign would have to be scaled back because donors assumed "there will not be a referendum in this parliament".

"When I came here I was told Tony Blair would attack anti-European prejudice...One speech every six months does not a campaign make," he said.