GTB
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Britain to adopt the Euro?Britain will eventually adopt the Euro as its currency and seeing as it's almost on a par with the Pound do you think it would be a good idea to fall in line with the rest of Europe.
Is there ever a good or bad time to adopt a currency?
Any Euro sceptics out there? 
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Peter Dolman
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There is no logical reason to adopt a currancy that has been invented because of the whims of politicians. If you ignore the current exchange rate the pound has been a much stronger currancy since the launch of the euro. The majority of the countries within the euro zone has just an many issues, if not more, than the UK economy.
One of the issues yet to be addressed by european government is that of pensions.
Pensions have historically been paid by those still in work on an approx ratio of 8 working to 1 pensioner. With an aging population this is going to be more like 4 to 1. This time bomb has been addressed to a greater extent by the selling of private pensions in the UK but not in europe.The UK has more private pensions that the rest of the euro zone together.
So I am against the imposition of a false currancy on a population who do not want it, any referendum will surely vote against it!
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Geddi
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I think the idea of the Euro is as bad as it gets, if you take into account the Maastrict treaty, the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Treaty of Lisbon, the EU itself, the EU Referendum and, did I say it once, the Treaty of Amsterdam.
We lose!
In unstable conditions, strength lies in diversity.
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rosco
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| Peter Dolman wrote: | There is no logical reason to adopt a currancy that has been invented because of the whims of politicians.
<snip>
So I am against the imposition of a false currancy on a population who do not want it, any referendum will surely vote against it! |
Well, I'm for it: I'm fed up to the back teeth with paying for currency conversion every time I have to go abroad and having the banks 'skim' me for nothing.
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Geddi
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Good point Peter - pension!
I know where and who invented the idea of the single currency, though its name has been changed many times since its inception, and I also know why.
Anyone fed up with bank transfer rates should work smarter and go on holiday in the UK :)
Personally, I have travelled through about 15 countries over about 15 years of my life and I would rather pay double fees (and sometimes have) than sit idly by and watch the changes going on which undo centuries of social change paid for with the blood of our ancestors.
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Chepfer
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Personally, I have travelled through about 15 countries over about 15 years of my life and I would rather pay double fees (and sometimes have) than sit idly by and watch the changes going on which undo centuries of social change paid for with the blood of our ancestors.
Gedi.
This is the thing that most gets to me, people talk passionately of the flags ,the W/Basset parades the soldiers etc.
So when people say "oH yea we'll have the Euro, be part of it and the like". They forget what Millions of British people fought for 60 years ago.
Because we may have well just given up back then and had the german mark as our currency now, would have saved alot of hassle !.
Hmnnnnnnn ..... Grrrrrrr.
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rosco
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| Chepfer wrote: |
So when people say "oH yea we'll have the Euro, be part of it and the like". They forget what Millions of British people fought for 60 years ago.
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Didn't realise that the war was over currency and keeping the British pound: I thought it was something about stopping Nazism and its expansion in the world! 
None of the people I have spoken with that took part in this (or other) conflicts have done so to defend our money system, but use other things such as 'freedom' as their reason.
I'm fine with arguments about how it may be better off financially to stay wtih the pound (I hadn't considered pensions which is quite a valid reason) but to get all emotive about it and say that people have fought (and died) for our coinage and that's why we shouldn't change it seems absurd. Next thing we'll have people protesting about going metric and getting fined/going to prison when they don't! 
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Chepfer
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The trouble is ....... It's not just the coinage is it !?
I was reading in the papers today (the times) that Britain signed a policy that if any European country is struggling with it's oil supplies ........then it's fine for them to just take it from British oil fields ...... whether we like it or not !.
Trouble is .... Now that half the eastern members are srtuggling because big brother russia has stopped supplies ........ they're free to take our reserves, at a reduced rate - probably increasing the cost of our own.
Ok thats a minor point ...but really... it's not just coinage is it ..be honest !
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win2212
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its clearly an emotive subject for some, more than others - and this goes beyond the gen public. many of the news papers for example are bias one way or another. And they are are always looking to sell more papers, so the bigger they can "make" the story, the better. You may have noticed from that, I am not a big fan of any national news paper. Many of the stories are over egged or inaccurate. Combine this with emotive issues such as the Euro, and you are bound to get a skewed view.
With the current situation, I think we would now be better off if we did join the Euro. Strength in numbers rather than the UK being out on its own. The conversion cost doesnt just apply to holiday makers, but to business in the UK which deal with Euro based firms.
Even if you are not ready for the idea of joining the Euro yet - I ask you this, how low does the UK economy and the Pound have to fall before it becomes clear that sticking with the Pound is no longer a viable option?
.....thats how read it - we should join now, before the UK economy/Pound falls even lower, as its my opinion that the current crunch is far from over.
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Peter Dolman
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While some may consider it be a valid arguement to join the euro because the pound/euro exchange rate has move against us. But those who promote this cause have poor memories. It was lest than 12 months ago that the media was reporting people from the UK traveling to the USA and europe for shopping bargains as the pound was so strong. You could buy 2 dollars for 1 pound.
We should not be making such a decision just because 1 indicator (one that fluctuates in a small time frame at that) suggests we should.
Lets not forget the German economy is in not better shape that the UK's, in fact most european countries are struggling.
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Peter Dolman
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I have just seen a YouGov poll into days Sunday Telegraph. The question posed was "how would you vote in a referendum on whether Britain should join the Euro"
The result was:
Don't know/would not vote 12%
To join 24%
Not to join 64%
Other polls have consistantly indicated that this point of view is a true representation of the population as a whole. I am sure that it is the reason why politicians refuse the British public a referendum on this subject.
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win2212
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| Peter Dolman wrote: | While some may consider it be a valid arguement to join the euro because the pound/euro exchange rate has move against us. But those who promote this cause have poor memories. It was lest than 12 months ago that the media was reporting people from the UK traveling to the USA and europe for shopping bargains as the pound was so strong. You could buy 2 dollars for 1 pound.
We should not be making such a decision just because 1 indicator (one that fluctuates in a small time frame at that) suggests we should.
Lets not forget the German economy is in not better shape that the UK's, in fact most european countries are struggling. |
while its true that the effect is worldwide, its also true that some locations are suffering more than others. For example, Germany is doing better than us due to a different housing market.
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Peter Dolman
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Germany has other issues affecting it such as unemployment and the strength of the euro likely to effect their exports, which is the other side of the coin.
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Chuck
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NO from meIf it matters to anyone I am a big no when it comes to joining the Euro but it may well be the Euro struggles during the tought times. Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Italy are all in some difficulty meeting the rules but we'll have to see.
AS it happens when we change money to buy stuff from abroad for the business (only if it can't be made in Calne) we have a Euro account in Ireland but they charge to change - you can't just write a cheque in Euros from one country to another.
Amazing
Chuck
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