BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?

Subject: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 06:09 AM

When is Britain going to come into the euro? It has me driven cracked - I go to London quite often and have to bring a separate purse of money with me, and have absolutely no idea what the prices mean.

But I can go to Paris, Athens, Madrid, etc and instantly know how much I'm spending, and not have a pocketful of useless change when I come back.

I know sterling is important to British people - and fair enough, it's one of the major world currencies from a trading point of view. But out of consideration to Me, I wish ye'd change!

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 06:28 AM

You could suggest to those countries that they adopt sterling.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:09 AM

When will America come into the Euro?
G ¦¬]

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:10 AM

The sooner the better. It'll make business and holidays so much simpler. And it'll be one less reason for everyone else in Europe to despise us.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:18 AM

Rubbish, the French will always dislike the English no matter what, and as long as the Europeans know that our first allegiance is to the USA and not the EU, the UK will never fit in.
What's wrong with a bit of mental arithmetic anyway, it's not so difficult to work out prices. What do you do in other countries with non Euro currencies. Seems more like laziness to me, than anything else!
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: treewind
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:22 AM

our first allegiance is to the USA and not the EU
If the UK switches to the US$, I'm getting outta here!

Anahata

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: C-flat
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:38 AM

In truth the US dollar would make more commercial sense than the Euro. International business is usually conducted in English and dealt in $US.

I'm quite happy with the £ though.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: skipy
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:49 AM

Bring back the florin!
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Alba
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:55 AM

"Bring back the florin!"...and while your at it you can bring back the thrupenny piece, the shilling, the half crown and the sixpence ?

Jude:)

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: bfdk
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 09:07 AM

Personally, I hope the Brits will stand firm against the Euro for as long as possible, because as long as there are still other countries who don't kowtow to the Brussel sprouts EU leadership on that score, I'm hoping Denmark can retain its own independent currency as well.

Mental arithmetic is good for you, GUEST, JTT, it keeps the brain agile ;-))

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Alba
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 09:12 AM

Yes indeed Bente,
Danish Currency is easy to work with too.
It also looks much prettier than Sterling and the Euro.
Nothing like giving that big muscle in our heads a workout:)
Best Wishes,
Jude

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 12:06 PM

Roughly when Hell freezes over. There is no support for it in the Conservative party, the Lib Dems are not going anywhere, except maybe backwards, and opinions are divided within the Labour party, and the Media.

The general public are strongly against it, and without a united campaign from the media and politicians would never support it in it's current state. Maybe in a decades time, when Southern Europe's economy stop resembling third world countries, there is some chance.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 12:19 PM

I agree with the above...bring back the half crown, two bob, bob and tanner.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 12:46 PM

And the stocks, and bear-baiting, and the ducking stool........

Fer gawd's sake guys, get yer feet unstuck from the mud and let's move forward. It's time for FIFO.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 01:30 PM

Nah we were ripped off in 1971, not going to have that happen again.
G

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 01:56 PM

Real money, pounds, shillings and pence, fair enough. But once we went decimal there's no point in fussing around with a different metric currency from all our neighbours.

It's as if we'd gone over to having ten new inches to the foot.

Now the pound weight, together with ounces and stones, those might be worth defending, because they are measures with some conveniences to set against the complications of the Harry Potter type numbers - but the pound as a unit of currency, that's just an arbitrary nuisance which makes it easier to get away with keeping prices for all kinds of things higher here than in other parts of Europe.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Cobble
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 02:18 PM

Better still when are we getting out of Europe.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 02:38 PM

OH YES PLEASE, MAKE IT SOON!

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 03:12 PM

Out of Europe? Need an awfully big skip to dump the old country into before shipping it off somewhere else...

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Gizmo
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 06:28 PM

Bearing in mind that the pound is still pretty strong against the US $ and the Euro - I very much doubt it would be changing soon, but then again we still have Tony B-Liar in power and if he wants to make it happen, then he'll go ahead and do it, whatever the people of this country want or think.

Sadly, changing our currency to euro, won't make anything cheaper, we will still be living in the same extorionate overblown tax predatory country we're living in now, and one step nearer to being governed entirely by people from germany, just like my water is!

Pound go - hell no!

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:25 PM

It really doesn't make much difference what the coins and the notes in your pocket look like. Except it makes it easier to compare prices.

I would imagine that over time euros will creep into common use as a supplementary currency, no matter what. Money is money.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:43 PM

Giok - mental arithmetic doesn't make my mind more agile, it puts me into a horrible limbo where nothing is real. I'm verging on the innumerate, and fell on my knees to give thanks when decimal currency came in.

It's *so* great to be able to go to any country in Europe and spend the same money and know what I'm getting for it. When I'm in England, I spend what I think is 50 euro, an ok kind of a price for a nice T-shirt, say, and discover that I'm turning my pockets out!

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Big Phil
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 10:48 PM

I lament at the loss of the farthing..........

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 01:57 AM

... and until now no one remembered the guinea (the coin, not the pig)

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,Crazyhorse
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 02:06 AM

still be living in the same extorionate overblown tax predatory country

Have you ever paid tax in another European country. I have, in three of them, and the UK's is not the highest.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 02:53 AM

Gizmo hit the nail on the head...the pound is healthy against the dollar and the euro and many other currencies so why change it. There are so many variables which would affect out 'equality' with other European countries...Keep the Pound.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: bfdk
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 04:41 AM

Gizmo hit another nail bang on the head when she said that nothing will become cheaper by changing the currency.

A friend of mine in Germany told me, that when the Germans went from Deutschmark to Euro, prices went up by at least 10%, ostensibly to cover the cost of changing all the tills, vending machines and what have you from handling the old Marks to handling the new coinage.

Only, prices were never seen to come back down again to the previous level, although one must assume that this conversion can't really have been a perpetual cost, but must be assumed to have been over after a limited duration.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 05:58 AM

It"s such an awful,soul-less name --"Euro" ! Nobody wanted it in the first place. The Dutch were happy with their Guilders, the Germans were very reluctant to lose their Marks ( I was living there just before the change-over ) & the French hate everything anyway !! I mean, has anyone come up with a slang word for it,as in "buck",or "quid " ?? Probably not !! Keep the Pound ,I say,& lose Europe & the EEC as soon as possible . Vivat Regina !!

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 06:41 PM

I was in France in early january. Supermarkets were still showing prices in francs as well as euros - apparently many of the French have difficulty thinking about value for money in euro terms, and felt the switch in currency had been used by firms as an excuse to put up prices.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 08:14 PM

An oveb bearing, and over exposed UKIP seems to leave no website be. Here we have them again spouting rubbish and leaving overseas readers with the impression that there is a majority in the UK against the Euro.

Well there isn't.

And whats more, a majority of Europeans now want the UK to end its claw back of European funds ( ie the contributions of other member states such as Romania etc ).

I am in favor of limited membership for the UK which does not seem to fit well among the Democracy of Europe. I think they should be offered the same status as Norway. Perhaps after ten years of poverty outside the EU the UKIP will be taken out by the good people of Britain and stood against a wall.

Oh and the UKIP is also well connected to the neoNazis in Europe!

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 08:15 PM

Agreed "Euro" is a dreadful name for a coinage. It's a dreadful abbreviation for anything, and should be avoided by anyone with any respect for the continent we live in.

The right thing to call it would have been a good Latin word which already has monetary connections - the Quid. I'm sure if they'd done that most English objections would have just melted away. It would have felt comfortable to be able to travel over the whoel of Europe paying for things in Quids.

It's not too late. Actually I imagine if/when the English adopt the currency in it'll be refered to as the "Euroquid" anyway, and sooner or later that'll be shortened to "Quid". Who refers to "New Pennies" nowadays?

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,Tom Nelligan
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 08:31 PM

I'm a USer, so I don't get a vote in the matter, but I hope that the UK hangs onto sterling forever. The Euro is to currency as WalMart is to commerce -- a giant, artificial, soul-less, homogenized, one-size-fits-all engine of commerce that wipes out centuries of local history and identity. I suppose it's inevitable that eventually MicrosoftToyotaBankofamerica Inc. or some variation thereof will rule the world, but as a traditionalist who celebrates regional cultures and hopes that they can endure, I don't have to like it.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 08:36 PM

The same could surely have been said of the dollar in its day. And probably was.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 03:23 AM

As someone who used to travel a lot, I really miss having different currencies in Europe. I love going to non-EU countries - figuring out the currency is part of the "otherness" of the experience, and part of the joy of travelling is to experience things that have not been McCultured.

I also think that anything that contributes to a lack of homogeneity is a good thing. I'm still deeply suspicious of a lot of EU legislation whih seems aimed at ironing out the cultural differences between the member states. Well, what's wrong with a few wrinkles? They add character. I'm still trying to figure out what Europe is for, apart from trying to create another superpower.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 04:26 AM

I've heard people in French markets buying vegetables in 'livres', which I thought were supposed to have gone out with Napoleon (they weigh out something approaching 500 grams).

There was a time when Ireland had pounds, shillings and pence (oh, and guineas, of course), but the value slipped so that an Irish pound was not worth the same as a British pound and the currency was no longer interchangeable. What is to stop the same thing happening with euros?

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 05:18 AM

We are a heavily taxed country, most of it is indirect taxation, road fuel at about $7.50 US per gallon, alchohol taxed at about 60%, car tax at an average of about £200 pa, and heavy trucks pay over £3000 pa.
Income tax is low compared with many other countries. This is lunacy, as income tax is the only one paid solely by people who are earning, and doesn't hit every one from the old age pensioner to the young unemployed as the other taxes do.
The EC has ruined our steel industry, and contributed towards the demise of most of our coal mines. As for the fishing industry, I want to weep every time I think about it. UK boats are pensioned out, the boats and their crews slung on the scrap heap for a pittance, while foreign owned boats who often ignore the rules on mesh and fish sizes, fish so close to the shore that paddling children are in danger of being included in their catch.
EC, don't talk to me about EC, we signed up to an economic alliance, and now find ourselves in a mega bureaucracy with delusions of grandeur, run by overpaid and often corrupt officials. The auditors have refused to sign off the accounts of the EC for several years, and this is because of the double dealing and fiddling that goes on all the time.
I want to keep my currency, and I would also like my country back
please.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 05:39 AM

The thing that puzzles me most, Giok, is how this loose economic alliance has been allowed transform into something completely different. It's become some strange cultural and social behemoth, with many negative economic ramifications for traditional British industry.

The other thing that makes me feel uncomfortable at the moment is the numbers of new countries that are joining. I think Ireland has become some of an object lesson in how to benefit fron the EU gravy train, and poorer countries who might have very little interest in the cultural bond promised by EU membership are certainly attracted by the economic benefits. It's becoming a bit of a joke. As a unifying cultural concept it can mean nothing when such disparate nations with vastly different social and cultural values are joining. I mean, a union including Britain, Germany and France was wierd enough...but Turkey?

God, I hope i didn't sound like a total fascist Little Englander just now...

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 06:24 AM

Why is it that when,on a discussion thread,someone airs the opinion that the EEC is not really working,or that Britain would be better off without Europe, or that (GOD FORBID !! ) any of us are PROUD to be ENGLISH, and would like some of our traditional laws & customs to be preserved, someone else immediately starts making Vile, Sneering,Bitchy,Angst-ridden remarks about "Nazis " & " Fascists " ??

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 06:55 AM

Umm, do they?

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 07:12 AM

I always find it intriguing that the two countries that created and dominate the EU, France and Germany, are the same two countries that have tried, in the past, to conquer the continent by force of arms....

Sorefingers - if there really was a majority in Britain for joining the Euro, Blair would have held a referendum on it already. There isn't a majority for joining as every opinion poll ever taken on the subject has shown, hence no referendum and no membership.

Finally, the comment about mental arithmetic when converting pounds into dollars - it can't be that difficult. With almost two dollars to the pound, visiting Americans have only to double the sterling price they see or are quoted.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 10:50 AM

I haven't seen any of that in this thread, bubblyrat.

Only [problem I can see with going over to Euros is that it's mess up the single price Pound Shops. I mean a Quid is enough to allow a remarkable range of stuff, and a Euro wouldn't be as good for that.

How did they manage with that in Ireland? Because I think that's where the Pound Shops started.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 03:47 PM

You might think that bad opinion of Euros is enough to get the UK out of Europe, but ya know it isn't and it never was that simple.

For one thing Scotland would likely want its own referendum, and for another what do the English do if there is a narrow majority? Bad enough not to be reading UKIP rubbish all over the internet, but imagine a Europhile underground in England after it leaves?

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 05:04 PM

Why would Scotland want its own referendum? Try justifying such strange statements..........

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 05:05 PM

sorry - that last post was me.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 05:31 PM

Well, by the time there's a referendum on this, Scotland will likely enough be independent.

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 07:12 PM

We (the English) can but hope.....

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 02:03 AM

We've already got the Euro, chaps, it's here in our midst and it's here to stay, so get over it!

Many companies in the UK already trade with other European companies in Euros (mine being one of them) but, because of the national hobbies of Head-in-the-Sand-Burying and To-The-Past-Clinging, we're obliged to take huge exchange risks. Who pays for it? You, Dear Consumers, you - it goes on to the price of what you buy.

It's a fact that we can buy raw materials cheaper in Euros because suppliers won't take the risk of selling in GBP (or, if they will, they load the price to a point where it's uneconomical), and many customers in Europe simply refuse to buy if we demand payment in GBP (or alternatively they convert Euros to GBP at a very poor rate - the old exchange risk again!).

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 05:05 AM

I reiterate, what do you do when you trade with the US and Japan, or any other country for that matter?
I suppose you could always write to GWB and ask him please to pay in sterling, just so's the US can take the hit of any exchange rate fluctuations.

Giok

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: bfdk
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 05:27 AM

Before the invention of the Euro a lot of European companies had dollar accounts and paid their bills and/or took payment in dollars. However, this didn't make anybody demand that the dollar be introduced as local currency in the countries in question, did it?

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: When's Britain coming into the euro?
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 03:20 PM

Strollin'Johnny makes the point best and I don't think it needs any help by my adding more.

From more efficient business method to lower costs to consumers, in the ever shrinking Global market place - technological progress if you will - the emergence of Global currencies is almost inevitable.

Today it isn't just the US Dollar, it is both the Dollar and the Euro.

Live with it or be trampled to death by those who already know the score!

Yes UK Currency is pretty and historic and all that, but it is not used by the other 400 million Europeans in the EU. That is probably the best reason of all to think seriously about moving on. So call it a 'quid' if you want, but for heavens sake move on like everybody else.

Oh and Scotland's own politicians - the ones I know - are firm in their view that it would not be in Scotland's interests today to simply fall in with UKIP plans for their country! I think those who here on the internet talk the most about this know exactly what that means.

UKIP does not represent Scotland!, and it should stop claiming that it does.