Why don't the public want Britain to change to Euro?

Question

I'm not talking about the Government or the big Business men because we all know why THEY don't want to change from Pounds to Euro, I mean you, the public, the normal tax payer. People go on about "We have to keep the pound because we've had it for so long it's part of Britain" well I can tell you you are wrong. In actual fact we have had the current pound for about 20-30 years which isn't all that long if you think about it. We changed from Pounds Shillings and Pence and before that rowns guineas half crowns ect. to pounds and pence. You can say "We still had the pound before that" and you are both right and wrong. We had the NAME pound, but it was a completely different currency. There were over 200 pence in a pound. Same name, different currency. If we brought in the Euro we could call it Pound still. It's just a name. The only reason we don't have the Euro is because the government and big businessmen don't want us to realise how much worse off we are than other countries that use the Euro, because THEY would lose money. In the majority of countries using the Euro like France, Italy or Spain ect. taxes are lower, consumer products are lower priced, they are paid more for the same jobs we do here (eg. a doctor in France would get paid more than a doctor in England) and there are many other things we pay more for, and we don't realise it because of the different currency. If we changed to Euro the government and big businessmen would lose money because we, realising how bad we were doing, would make a big fuss and we would make them lower prices and pay us more. Also bringing in the Euro would get rid of those bad exchange rates whenever we wanted to go to another Euro zone country. I think we should use the Euro. Call it the Pound if you want but we should use the Euro.

Answer 1

Wow, you seem to think you can answer for us anyway so why are you asking!?

I want to keep the pound because at the moment we have a GOOD exchange rate! We can get MORE Euros for our Pound!

Also because I don't like the government dictating absolutely everything we do and wanting to turn us 'into' Europe. I want to be British not European.

(nothing against Europeans just I want to remain British and keep my roots)

EDIT: noted before everyone starts responding to me Britain is part of Europe yes I know but I personally feel I want to keep Britain British (if that makes sense lol)

Answer 2

Some people think it is the last remaining part of our national identity that hasn't been robbed.

apart from the queen, but who gives a toss about that old hatchet? lol

Answer 3

I don't know why, (I'm an American and never even set foot in Europe), but if the British want to keep the pound, I say let 'em.

Answer 4

I don't know, there's probably some economic c**p behind it all, but, it's probably just because it's what we are accustomed to now, and if you think how many notes there are out there (£5 £10 £20 £50) and how many are still getting printed, then they would all just go to waste, and there would be no use for them after we have changed to euros the banks would have millions of notes and nothing to do with them, shred them? burn them? And then you think coins, I mean there are probably MILLIONS of them scattered around the country, once we have changed, what do we do with them? I mean they could melt them and remould them into euros but think then environmentally.

Sure the Doctors get paid more, but that might be because there is less doctors over there, and so one doctor has more patients and so his wages are higher for dealing with more patients, and then on top of that, the exchange rate changes all the time and we could be losing money in the process of changing it. I have no objection because I'm only 14 and I get used to change easily enough, there are just so many consequences and objections from the nation that if a majority of the Nation don't like the thought of the change then we won't.

And 1 euro is down now to 78p!

Answer 5

The pound is much stronger than the Euro - especially if you go outside the Eurozone.  I have friends in Malta, Italy and Germany and they have all commented on how much prices went up after they swapped to the Euro.  Two good reasons for not even considering changing to the Euro!

Answer 6

erm I lived in Europe for years, and i was over their when the euro came in..(in Brussels) and the cost of living DOUBLED overnight.. and it never went back down in the 2years afterwards that i was there .. the cost of living is way too high as it is.. do i want it to go up? no thanks... i would rather stick with the £!!!!

LOL you don't wanna insult us????? well i am using my brain and NO I would not want the Euro to come here, if you used your brain you would know that the cost of living in most of Europe has always been lower than ours, THAT has nothing to do with the euro!!!!!  ... do you really think we are that dumb?

ah so, is this YOUR opinion or your FRIENDS???? lol!! sorry most of Europe hated having the Euro, the only convience is when you cross borders! ..lol!

Answer 7

It is because we don't want to be part of a greater europe and we don't trust you to run our country.    

Answer 8

Well I do not want their funny money, and prefer to stick to what I have got. First of all we were bulldozed into changing from pounds to metric or whatever it was and now they are still not content       as they now want it to be Euros. Well as far as I am concerned my friends in Holland had to change, and each and every price went up.They do not like it one bit, and said values         went up and down like a bouncing ball.Anyone wanting a change I suggest they go live abroad, and taste it first over there. You will soon be back... I know as I went for a Holiday there.

Answer 9

I have lived in Spain for 6 years and find no problem with the euro, I used to think it was important to keep the pound, now I'm not bothered either way.

Answer 10

because the pound is stronger than the euro, last time i checked anyway...

Answer 11

Not trying to insult you but if u used yr brain you would know that the pound is stronger than the Euro

Answer 12

You don't mention your age but let me tell you there were 240d to the pound, that was before decimalisation came along. Overnight the pound was cut in half, by that I mean its value. Having lived in another European country, I witnessed the change of their currency to the euro. Surprise surprise the value of their currency suffered the same fate. So if you want to see the pound cut in half again then you go ahead, but I think you'll find the majority are opposed.

Answer 13

The pound is stronger than the euro, but it isn't as strong as it used to be. I'm wondering if it goes down any more whether they will then bring in the euro.

edit: and btw, they make good money changing your money. When we went away the post office convinced us travellers cheques would give us a better rate. They didn't tell us we would struggle cashing them and then pay again. Then the money we had left we had to pay to change back.

Answer 14

Your assertion that the pound changed with decimalisation is incorrect. The pound is the base unit and the subunits were changed. The base unit of one pound was worth about US$2.20 at the time of decimalisation and that didn't change, except through the daily fluctuation of currency trading. You might still say that the pound on the 14th February 1971 was different to the pound on the 15th February 1971 but it wasn't. There had been experiments with decimal pennies in Victorian times but they were quickly abandoned. Also, the sixpence was retained until 1980 because it was exactly 2.5p. And some decimal crowns, 25p, were minted, for example for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.

Your assertion that we're worse off than other countries in the Euro Zone is also factually incorrect. Both in net terms and purchasing power parity terms the UK is richer than France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Yes we're not as well off as the Dutch, the Danes or the Swedes but that's been the case for decades, long before the Euro was created. The one country that really has done well with the Euro is Ireland and it's phenomenal enrichment since about 1990 is indisputable.

Taking some of your arguments: UK salaries are amongst the highest in Europe and much higher than in Spain. UK doctors have some of the best remuneration packages of anywhere in the world. UK GPs are thought to be the highest paid in any major economy. Some things, most notably food, are cheaper in Europe and so are some rarely bought products like new windows. However, the UK has the most competitive market for consumer electronics and some other things. Broadband Internet is now cheaper here and so is water. Also, most of Europe has higher rates of personal taxation.

Now to the Euro itself. The long-term stability of the currency is not guaranteed. At the moment it's doing well but it might succumb to the stresses of different economies pulling in different directions. The argument against joining the Euro is that Britain's economy operates in a counter-cyclical manner to most European countries. That is that their economies do well when ours does badly and vice versa. There is one other thing. London is the largest currency trading centre in the world. This position can best be protected by retaining the pound. It's an industry that brings in many tens of billions of pounds to the UK economy each year.

I agree with those who say that one day the Euro might be a good idea for the UK but not now. We should keep the pound for at least ten more years. I believe this for practical financial reasons and not any misplaced patriotism.

Answer 15

I am a Brit living now in Bulgaria but I would not like Britain to ditch the pound which is the second most popular currency in  the world, outside of Europe. Bulgaria have no plans to change to the Euro and even countries like Germany and Italy now have regrets. expats would all lose if Britain changed to the euro as its weaker than the pound.It would also be an excuse,as when the pound went decimal, to increase prices to "round up" everything. Also you have to consider the huge cost of printing all the new notes and change. Its bad enough having to lose our pints and pounds (lbs)  into litres and kilos. Our feet and inches into centimetres. No thanks.

A little old lady went to her local greengrocer and asked for 4 pounds of spuds and was told that now its called kilos. Ok she replied Give me 4 pounds of kilos.! See what I mean .!!    

Answer 16

I have no need what so ever to change currency, I'm british i live in britain i do not wish to travel to europe so I'm happy to buy from Britain with my pounds and pence's. Next you'll be kicking the queen of her thrown and telling us we need to elect a president because it works better for the other countries in Europe, were PART of europe we don't belong to europe. I think if were gonna swap currency, then we should adopt the dollar, considering we generally have more to do with America then we do with France, Germany or pissing anywhere else for that matter. Plus think of all the confusion it would cause, changing they school syllabus to work in euros rather then pounds, making all the shops change all there products to euros and the cost of all the new advertising, government forms, the cost for banks etc.  

Answer 17

There are people who are stubborn idiots who don't admit they're in the 21st century.

Answer 18

You're absolutely right, it's the rich establishment that want to keep the pound purely for status.  Such nonsense!  But so many of the public you refer to believe everything the establishment tells them.  After all, it is them that run the media to 'programme' the people's thinking.

You have obviously thought logically about this.  Unfortunately the majority of people find their brains get tired if thinking about anything more educational than Big Brother.

(Strange that the 'follow like sheep' attitude was the theme of the original Big Brother theme in Orwell's 1984)

Answer 19

its not just money. they don't want the value of their currency ruined by other countries. if they have their own money, they cannot enact monetary policy as easily. they just don't have the same control of their economy if they change into the Euro.

Answer 20

i know this sounds dumb, but pounds look so much nicer!

but i personally have no problem changing to the euro.

Answer 21

I remember the change to decimalisation, that was a licence to rob.

The amount of overcharging and downright trickery was horrendous.

The same thing happened on a smaller scale when pounds changed to kilo's, but people got wise, they just did not trust anyone.

Although some trickery was apparent.

To change to a monetary unit which is wholly foreign and artificially manufactured will open the flood gates for con artists all over again.

Lets leave things the way they are, we are being ripped off enough as it is.  

Answer 22

Pounds = Powerful, Proud, Pride = Britain

No one can take away Pounds  from the British people.

I believed that Pounds will always find a way to every British heart.

A symbol of wonderful tradition British way of life.  

Answer 23

Please please 'Barry Scott'. The Pound is as old as the hills. The way it is denominated is irrelevant. The point is, it is the British Currency. Once you lose your currency, you lose your country, because you can't be an independent Nation State without it.

What you are really talking about here, is control of your own country, not currency. Most of the other countries weren't given a choice as to whether they adopted the EURO, it was imposed upon them.

Moreover, what on earth is wrong with being patriotic?

It seems to me that you have swallowed a lot of cr-p from left wing teachers. Your arguments are incredibly naive, because you don't understand the implications of giving up our currency. So far, the EU has virtually destroyed this country, together with our treacherous Government.

It is also extremely worrying to note how many respondents have dealt with your question by referring only to exchange rates. This is trivia compared to losing your country. I'm speechless!

Answer 24

If we changed to the EURO this Government and Business's would ise it as an excuse to raise price's just as they did when we went Decimal.

Look at the price of things when you go on holiday, they have risen enormously since the Euro by sheer greed by business's

Change at your peril

As far as exchange rates are concerned, if you are still being ripped off, you are not looking around and buying in the right place's DO NOT use bank's

Answer 25

because we have lost so much of our identity already that one last bastion that falls like our currency means we are just part of a super state and any rights, laws etc now go directly to the EU. Its robbing us of who we are, British and proud to be so. I don't ever want to be part of EU, nor do many people, for lots of different reasons.

Plus  everyone i have met abroad, and that's a lot of different countries, who adopted the Euro absolutely hated it, and all their goods, prices shot up.

If you like it fine, but i have never come across anyone, in any place who wants it, either here in UK, or indeed abroad. The Italians who had funny money still didn't, nor do most others.

Answer 26

England should keep our own identity. We have already been sold down the river on the Constitution!

Errr no Britain does not need to Euro. Go and live there if you want it so badly.

Answer 27

unfortunately britain is full of little englanders who object to "jonny foreigner" controlling our economy.

It is debateable whether the euro is in the uk's interest. whether it is or not the british people will never allow an unelected group of people (the council of ministers are not elected by uk citizens, well one of them is)making decision about the uk economy.

if they tried it they would be a revolution.

Answer 28

I live in Spain but go regularly to the UK, I would love the pound to go, for obvious reasons. I hate having to have 2 bank accounts, one in the UK and one here in Spain.

Yes, when we changed from pesetas to the euro things did go up here but we got used to it pretty quick.

Those of you that say you would lose your British identity.....if you didn't want to lose your British identity why go into the EU in the first place. One foot in one camp and one in the other is not the way to go. Either you're in all the way or you're out!