Will UK join the EURO currency?? what do you all think?

No one in UK government in his/her right mind would approve that.

The problem is that hardly anybody in government is in his right mind. 

If Edward Heath had been in his right mind he would never have signed us up for the EEC in the first place.    If the members of each subsequent government (of both political persuasions) had been in their right minds, they would never have agreed to further integration, harmonization, and wholesale handing over of British sovereignty.

Mr. Blair seems hellbent on Britain joining the euro by hook or by crook.   

Here's a simple reason I believe it will never happen, economic and monetary control.  Would the UK and British citizens stand for their currency and economy to an extent be centralized and for the most part controlled by Germans?  Remember the Euro was roughly based on the Mark.  Way to many people can easily make the leap that although Germany didn't conquer Europe via military methods if the UK converts to the Euro then the Germans conquered the UK through monetary and economic control.

Food for thought.

I would like to think the the government and people would not want to give up economic control, but this has already happened to a degree.  Britain could not,  for example, decide to remove import duties on American products, because that would breach the common tariffs laid down by the EU.     

We've already lost control over essential areas, e.g. the common agricultural policy and the common fisheries policy, both of which have been total disasters for Britain right from the start.   

Given that the government seems quite happy to throw away its citizens' rights by allowing EU law and foreign courts to override British Common Law, I'm really not too confident that they'll have our interests at heart over the euro debate.

I'm against it because its a stupid name.

And have you seen what the notes are like?   Ugh!      

The money in my Monopoly set looks better than that!

For anyone not familiar with the euro, you can see the notes and coins here:

http://www.irlgov.ie/ecbi-euro/notes.htm

Windows and gateways form the principal element of the front face of each banknote and symbolise the spirit of openness and co-operation in the European Union.

Excuse me one moment while a have a fit of hysterical laughter...............

O.K., I'm fine now!   

Who pays £1.24 for a coke? 

The present government have confirmed that the UK will not be adopting the Euro unless it is agreed in referendum by the people of the UK after a'yes' vote in the House of Commons.  This *may* change under the Brown administration, but it is unlikely as Brown is considered to be less pro-Euro than Tone.

As has already been said, the main issue here is a loss of control over economic policy.  Parliament is not yet convinced that there can be monetary Union without transfer of control of economics from Parliament to the European Parliament/Commission/Central European Bank.  Our little island nation are quite protective of our soverignty, and most of the population feel that enough economic and political powers have been transferred as it is, and will be unwilling to support such a major change such as this.

Vicky

Are they starting this debate again?  The last time this when to a public poll wasn't the answer a resounding HELL NO!

I know when Germany converted a lot of people were annoyed because the bills were too large for everyone's purses / wallets, and the edges kept tearing.

Plus I'd rather have the head of a old bird on my coin, rather than that which looks like the part of a males anatomy!  hehe

The average salary is 23k pounds and people pay everything double for example

My friend in germany get 90K euros   per year and spent  1,24  euro for Coke ( just Example )
My other friend in UK get 40K pounds per year and spent 1.24  pound for Coke.
I dont know about UK economy but my economy is telling me that I will paying double in UK ...

Another example in Netherland
Everthing increase about 17% when they moved to euro.  The bread used to cost  (.98 golt =.56 euro) and now it is .98 Euro.

I guess tha cost of living will go down and everything willl be like Europe ?

Kal

Unlikely that the cost of living will go down - in fact if you think about it, the cost of living is irrelevant.  What matters (in economic terms) is the income per head after adjusting for price differences (economists call this a purchasing power parity adjustment - PPP).  On a PPP basis, people in the UK are richer on average than those in Germany (and indeed most other European countries except the Nordics).

Are they starting this debate again?  The last time this when to a public poll wasn't the answer a resounding HELL NO!

Was it? When? There was only one referendum on the EEC/EU/Common Market and it was "yes" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_referendum%2C_1975).

Incidently, the British parlament has always considered referendum (referenda?) to be a tool of dictatorship; Neopoleon, Hitler and Saddam Hussain had referendums, we have elections.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1714318.stm

Not that I support the Euro, can't see the point at the moment.

Is anybody on here buying bread for £1.65? You need to get some real prices in order to make valid comparisons instead of just changing currency symbols which is seems that you're doing.

Moving to UK    
salary £45K  Tax £20-40% (Fed)  house £200-300K Mortgage ?K  Coke £1, Bread £1.65 ...

Is anybody on here buying bread for £1.65? You need to get some real prices in order to make valid comparisons instead of just changing currency symbols which is seems that you're doing.

I agree. Myorcledba, perhaps you don't really know what your cost of living will be once you move to the UK? I think maybe food is a lot less expensive than you're planning for! For instance, a big fresh loaf of bakery bread will probably set you back about 70p. A loaf of commercial type bread will be about half that.

I agree. Myorcledba, perhaps you don't really know what your cost of living will be once you move to the UK? I think maybe food is a lot less expensive than you're planning for! For instance, a big fresh loaf of bakery bread will probably set you back about 70p. A loaf of commercial type bread will be about half that.

I was pretty shocked at how inexpensive a lot of the food that I purchased this past summer was.  A lot of the stuff I tended to buy cost me less than it would where I live in the US, even with currency conversion.  There's no way I ever paid £1.65 for bread or £1.24 for a coke!

oracledba must have been buying that new Harrods 'Diamond Encrusted Baguette'.....

 

Loaf of bread - 80p if I am splashing out on nice stuff, 25p on average
House prices £200 - £300k...yeah, if you are looking for a 3 bedroom in London!

You have also misunderstood the Chancellor's analysis from that link.  He is not saying we should join the Euro in order to get prices down etc, but is saying that prices need to to come down before we can join the Euro and not suffer high unemployment and high uncontrolably high interest rates.


Vicky

First of all, you said "a coke", not 'a two litre bottle of brand Coca-Cola'...BIG difference!

Secondly, I still can't find a loaf of bread for £1.65.  The average on that site is about 65p.

Vicky

House prices are high, i am not quibbling that, but if you are not coming to London then you will be looking at a lot less.

Hovis 'Best of Both' is NOT an everage loaf of bread in terms of price.  As I have said, most bread from Sainsbury's was in the 65/69p mark.  Still doesn't explain where your initial £1.65 came from!

I appreciate that you are doing research, but the best way of researching costs is by discussing things with the people who live here already!  The UK is expensive, but not as bad as you seem to think!

Vicky

oracledba must have been buying that new Harrods 'Diamond Encrusted Baguette'.....

 

Loaf of bread - 80p if I am splashing out on nice stuff, 25p on average
House prices £200 - £300k...yeah, if you are looking for a 3 bedroom in London!

You have also misunderstood the Chancellor's analysis from that link.  He is not saying we should join the Euro in order to get prices down etc, but is saying that prices need to to come down before we can join the Euro and not suffer high unemployment and high uncontrolably high interest rates.


Vicky

For housing, it all depends where in London one is looking.  Where I live 1BR flats are in the £200-£300k range.