British Euro-referendum

[matt.berlin]

From a British newspaper's website:

One of Tony Blair's closest union allies has let slip that the government is planning a euro referendum for next year.
John Monks, the general secretary of the TUC, has fuelled speculation that there is a Whitehall "timetable" for entry, encompassing the necessary legislation, the wording of the referendum question and the campaign itself.

His comments add to widespread Whitehall rumours that the government's preferred date for a referendum is autumn 2003.

The Treasury is due to complete its assessment of the five economic tests by next summer at the latest - initial work has already begun. The electoral commission would then have to approve the wording of the referendum question and a bill would also need to pass through parliament before the poll could be held.

Thinking within New Labour circles favours a brief campaign ahead of any referendum. With opinion polls showing more people now resigned to the prospect of eventually replacing the pound with the euro, a short, sharp campaign may be more likely to "bounce" the electorate into a yes vote.

[Craco]

My guess is that the UK starts to use the Euro within 5 years.. I bet they use it in 2004...

Greetzz,

[smh]

My guess is that the UK starts to use the Euro within 5 years.. I bet they use it in 2004...

Think 2004 is a bit to soon. If the referendum is early next year then they have a slight possibility to start on 1-1-2005, if the referendum is later in the year i don't think they can make it is such a short notice.

It took the rest of europe 3 years and undoubtly they can do it faster, but i don't think they are able to do it in less then a year and a half.

Sander

[pinguino79]

I think that it will take longer than 10 years.
After this summer, when many British will travel to the continent for vacation, they'll see that things here are working perfectly and that national cultures haven't been destroyed by the common currency.
Hopefully, Matt will keep on with his personal pro-euro propaganda

[matt.berlin]

Don't worry, I will!

[Olivier]

My guess is that the UK starts to use the Euro within 5 years.. I bet they use it in 2004...

Greetzz,

I am not sure UK will join the euro soon... Tony Blair will loose any referendum he plans, since he attacked Irak with the USA...



O.

[eurobillsandcoins]

With the current Bush support, he'll want to stick with Bush by not to join Euro-Europe. If they issue the euro they should probably put Bushes face on the coins since they support them so much.

[Olivier]

With the current Bush support, he'll want to stick with Bush by not to join Euro-Europe. If they issue the euro they should probably put Bushes face on the coins since they support them so much.

The people will decide...

[Skylimit]

I don't know. Within five years would make sense ...
Not attacking Iraq also makes sense ...
So what do you know ?

I fear that the Euro is considered to be something Franco-German ...
more French than German actually.
The British-American coalition has been very hard for France these days ..

I'm not sure all of this will be forgotten by the time the referendum is held.

[eurobillsandcoins]

I don't know. Within five years would make sense ...
Not attacking Iraq also makes sense ...
So what do you know ?

I fear that the Euro is considered to be something Franco-German ...
more French than German actually.
The British-American coalition has been very hard for France these days ..

I'm not sure all of this will be forgotten by the time the referendum is held.

You make a good point Skylimit..........

[Olivier]

I fear that the Euro is considered to be something Franco-German ...
more French than German actually.
.

The French wanted the euro more than Germany, but it's a success. And the ECB is in Frankfurt, its president is dutch...

The British-American coalition has been very hard for France these days ..

It's a easy way not to realize that there are other countries which don't support their invasion.

Have you noticed that everyday, the pressure is on a diferent country?

- monday: Russia is baaaad, Russia has sold weapons to Irak...
- tuesday: Iran is baaaaad, Iran is working on a nuclear weapon
- wednesday: Canada is baaaad, we are disappointed that they don't send their troops to invade Irak (why should Canada??? )
- thursday: Germany and France are baaaad: they now should be considered as "strategical ennemies"
- friday: Syria ia baaaaad...
- saturday: Mexico is baaaad, he has not voted the redolution (that the USA didn't even dare to propose)
- sunday: Turkey is baaaaad, Turkey has not allowed the US troops on its soil to help to invade another country

and the week after starts again...

They have lost all their credibility. I have heard a debate on Radio Canada this morning. The journalists said "what can they do? They need our product. They are used to consume and to have a great life... The people doesn't agree to reduce its consumation".

I'm not sure all of this will be forgotten by the time the referendum is held

I think Bush is the best for Europe. He is such a bad guy that all the pro US will realize that the USA don't care about them at all, will do what they want when they want against who they want... and that we really need an independant european army now!

Bush already plans to take off all the US army from the western countries (especially Germany) and to put new "OTAN bases" in Poland, Romania, Hungary... (and show to Russia they don't care about they promised).

O.

[Skylimit]

I think Bush is the best for Europe.
O.

Maybe you're right ... This is what one of our greates opposition leaders ever said about our current prime minister ...
"If Verhofstadt didn't exist, we would have invented him" ...

which means ... it is easy to oppose againt something that is obviously wrong ...

Meanwhile, Verhofstadt has grown up, and built a coalition with his biggest former opponent, and for foreign policy, we have Michel ... I think it is the most progressive policy Belgium has ever had ... much to everyones surprise ... (even the Americans )

[Olivier]

Actually, it's simple... The USA are isolated. Only Great Britain and Australia have sent troops. Event traditionnal allies as France, Canada, Italy... have sent no soldier.

Inside the USA, Bush's policy is strongly criticized... I don't even speak about the situation in Italy, Spain, GB... where demonstrations are still massive!

The USA can't even crush a country which is poor, weak, have endured an embargo for 12 years... in which inspectors have destroyed the weapons...

All this is a total stupidity. The USA have now just to realize they can't dominate the world alone. They should better focus on their dramatic economical situation: debt, deficit, poverty, lack of social welfare...

and Europe should realize that the Cold War is over, the world has changed, Russia is no more an ennemy and the USA are not the same country as before 1989... It's a country which has clearly expressed that it would tolerate no contest for its leadership.

O.

[Gauss]

Not opinions, just some facts:

Actually, it's simple... The USA are isolated. Only Great Britain and Australia have sent troops.

Not true. The USA are able to present a list of some 30 countries (from Bulgaria to Micronesia) that support their position. Active military support comes from more than the two mentioned countries, I remember at least two ships from Denmark (I think it was Denmark? In any case something european.) and some article which stated support with equipment and/or manpower from seven countries altogether.

Inside the USA, Bush's policy is strongly criticized...

Partly true. The criticism does not take place in domestic media. Events like Michael Moore's speech at the Oscar ceremony are hardly mentioned in newspapers (not to talk about TV), and if so, in the section "letters to the editor" where somebody declares this incident outrageous.

As reporting about media I should add the country music charts. Number one used to be a texan group called Dixie chicks with a fairly "patriotic" song called "Traveling soldier" This changed when one of them mentioned in a radio interview that she feels sorry to be from the same state as the President. Since then they are banned from some radio stations, fell back in the charts. Number one is now a song called "Have you forgotten?" (remarkable link) which essentially tells the following: Whenever the songwriter sees some peace demonstration or hears doubts about the necessity of the war he wants to adress the respective people with the question in the headline, that is, to ask them whether they had forgotten 9/11, the beloved ones that died that day and so on. (Number two in the charts is some glamour boy with an absolutely non-political story about a lost love.)

I think Bush is the best for Europe.

As I wrote earlier, we should be utterly grateful to Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld tells us how he sees the world, with easily memorable remarks. Bush just doesn't talk enough for that.

[Olivier]

Not opinions, just some facts:

Actually, it's simple... The USA are isolated. Only Great Britain and Australia have sent troops.

Not true. The USA are able to present a list of some 30 countries (from Bulgaria to Micronesia) that support their position. Active military support comes from more than the two mentioned countries, I remember at least two ships from Denmark (I think it was Denmark? In any case something european.) and some article which stated support with equipment and/or manpower from seven countries altogether.

OK, but don't tell me this coalition is the strongest the USA have had... It's a bit humiliating for the 1st power of the world to tell that they are not alone, because they have the support of Albania, Afghanistan, Micronesia...

The facts are that they could only get 4/15 votes in the UN, so they decided to go without the UN... which explains why people fear today an unilateral policy...

I don't understimate the moral help of the portuguese, spanish, bulgarian chiefs... but it's not the same as if Russia, China, France and Germany supported the USA and sent troops, like in Afghanistan or Gulf War I.
It's a diplomatic defeat.

About Denmark, the Netherlands... there has been a debate in the NL about the presence of a dutch general in Doha, near US general Franck...

The supporting countries are not very proud of their support, except GB and Australia... the demonstrations there are the most important never seen...

Inside the USA, Bush's policy is strongly criticized...

Partly true. The criticism does not take place in domestic media. Events like Michael Moore's speech at the Oscar ceremony are hardly mentioned in newspapers (not to talk about TV), and if so, in the section "letters to the editor" where somebody declares this incident outrageous.

Yes, I felt down on my seat, when I heard Adrian Brody (best actor), Pedro Almodovar and Michael Moore. or Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins coming inside , showing a V with their fingers...

I am in Canada... I listen to the europeans channels (and the french ones are also "oriented"), and to the american ones... The gap is amazing. It's like it was not the same war!

There is a huge misunderstanding between the both sides of the Atlantic...
The American feel under attack since september 11, and the Europeans are afraid of the new unilateralism of the USA... (not about this war but also Kyoto, the steal conflict, etc...)