Former Conservative prime minister Sir Edward Heath has called for Britain to join the single currency.

In a pamphlet published on Friday by Britain in Europe, Sir Edward Heath claimed those who feverishly reject the single currency are taking "the first step that leads us out of the EU".

"Continued isolation from the euro will undermine our place in the EU. If we remain outside the euro other countries will question our commitment to the EU and our opinions will carry far less weight," he said.

"All too often the anti-Europeans tell us of the nightmare scenarios that will follow if we join the euro. There are those who argue Britain should carry on as we are - in the EU, but outside the euro."

Heath, who as prime minister took Britain into the EEC, claimed most people were largely negative to Europe.

"With a few notable high-points aside, Britain's attitude to Europe has been at times half-hearted, and at others, downright hostile," he said.

Heath's comments came as members of Tony Blair's cabinet received Gordon Brown's 250-page dossier setting out the case against British membership of the single currency.

Senior ministers will be given the weekend to consider the latest evidence before further meetings next week.

But critics claim the chancellor's consultation process has been a sham. Many believe Brown took the decision that his five economic tests had not been met months ago.

Shadow chancellor Michael Howard claimed the process was "fundamentally flawed".

"Even if the tests were met today, how can anyone know whether they would also be met in two or five or 10 years time? That is why Mervyn King, incoming governor of the Bank of England, said it would take two or three hundred years worth of date to prove true convergence," he said.

"That is why the permanent secretary to the Treasury, Gus O'Donnell, said that the tests would never give a clear and unambiguous verdict in favour of British entry to the euro."

Brown's insistence that the Cabinet's decision will be based on the UK's economic interests has been challenged by opponents who claim it will be a purely political decision.

"Everyone knows that the prime minister wants to join the euro before the general election but the chancellor doesn't, and the Cabinet consultation is just a charade to cover this titanic struggle," said Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Matthew Taylor.

"The truth is that the decision boils down to a matter of judgement about Britain's best interests, and the only real way to resolve this conflict is to put it to a referendum so the British people can decide."

After this weekend there will be another round of meetings between Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and individual Cabinet members.

That will be followed by a special Cabinet session at the end of the week which will finalise the announcement Brown will make to MPs on June 9.