Britain 'will join euro before long’, says German finance minister
Britain will have to abandon the pound and join the single currency “faster than people think”, Germany’s finance minister has said.
Wolfgang Schäuble believes that Britain will have to adopt the euro
By Bruno Waterfield, in Brussels and Christopher Hope in Berlin10:44PM GMT 18 Nov 2011 896 Comments
Wolfgang Schäuble said that, despite the current crisis in the eurozone, the euro will ultimately emerge as the common currency of the entire European Union. He said he “respects” Britain’s decision to keep the pound, but insisted that the survival and eventual stabilisation of the euro will convince non-members to join the currency club. “This may happen more quickly than some people in the British Isles currently believe,” he added.
Mr Schäuble also said Germany will stand firm on its call for a financial transaction tax that Britain believes would badly harm the City of London.
Fears over the eurozone crisis saw stock markets fall again yesterday. The FTSE 100 closed down 1.1 per cent. French and German shares also fell.
Meanwhile, a leaked document seen by The Daily Telegraph yesterday showed Berlin has drawn up radical plans for an intrusive new European body which will be able to intervene directly in beleaguered countries.
Sir John Major, the former prime minister, warned last night that the growing integration of the eurozone nations threatens democracy in those countries. He told Al Jazeera television that richer euro members led by Germany and France will “insist on moving towards what we call fiscal union. By that I mean common control over budgets and fiscal deficits”.
Sir John, who advises David Cameron on foreign policy issues, also described the banking transaction tax as “a heat-seeking missile proposed in continental Europe, aimed at the City of London”.
Germany rules the EU but without the tanks ,france rolls over as normal for them, and the other big spenders …Greece, Spain,Portugal, get Euros to buy products from the fatherland, soon to be followed by the east european,s who have been stuffed with grants to make them think the EU is the best thing since sliced bread.
So do you believe everything that a British Politician says? I doubt it!
This is just some German Politician spouting off his own views, probably to help his own electorial position in his country.
Now lets take a look at that story?
This is all about missleading claims on food products. The claim that we need x amount of water a day was leap on by bottled water manufactuers, but the fact in we already get much of the liquid intake we need from other sources such as food and other drinks.
Prof Brian Ratcliffe, spokesman for the Nutrition Society, said dehydration was usually caused by a clinical condition and that one could remain adequately hydrated without drinking water.
He said: “The EU is saying that this does not reduce the risk of dehydration and that is correct.
“This claim is trying to imply that there is something special about bottled water which is not a reasonable claim.”
So we no longer need to add water. At least not to ourselves in the amount of eight lots of 8oz a day as advised by the website NHS Choices and numerous health writers. We should all raise our glasses to Dr Margaret McCartney, a GP from Glasgow, writing in the BMJ, who has revealed what most doctors already know: there is no scientific evidence that we need so much water. None. At all.
Ukip MEP Paul Nuttall said the ruling made the “bendy banana law” look “positively sane”.
This is one of the great Euro Myths peddled out time and again by the Euro sceptic press.
Bendy Bananas were never banned, it was reglulations set down to stantadise the grading of fruit and veg. But lets not let the Truth get in the way of a good story.
You kinda missed the point Muckles which is the astonishing waste of resources by the buggers in Brussels who thought this was worthy of their attention. Paid for of course by you and I and a few others on here! You people keep defending this ■■■■, why I will never understand. It’s a bureaucratic monster which is virtually out of control.
44 Tonne Ton:
You kinda missed the point Muckles which is the astonishing waste of resources by the buggers in Brussels who thought this was worthy of their attention. Paid for of course by you and I and a few others on here! You people keep defending this [zb], why I will never understand. It’s a bureaucratic monster which is virtually out of control.
No what I’m pointing out is you are reading stuff in a Right wing Euro sceptic paper, who have tilted a story about getting clear and accurate labelling of food stuff to stop companies making missleading claims.
Standardised labelling across the EU is a way of helping trade across the EU, which is what many Euro Sceptics keep saying was the original meaning of the EU, it means manufactuers of goods don’t have to change labelling or advertising to get into other markets, just a bit of translation.
I also get really annoyed by the Euro Sceptic press and thier misleading stories, we can’t have a proper debate about our place in the EU until we are given proper facts and not the myths and half truths peddled by the same old suspects.
This doesn’t mean I think the EU is the greatest thing ever and all is hunky doorey. The whole instituation needs massive reform a stop to expansion, but then of course business like expansion as it give them access to new markets and cheap labour.
I’ve always been a bit sceptical about the Euro although it makes my job far easier as I don’t have to carry different currencies and work out different exchange rates. I could never see how Countries with economies so different as Germany and Greece could share a currency.
muckles:
I also get really annoyed by the Euro Sceptic press and thier misleading stories, we can’t have a proper debate about our place in the EU until we are given proper facts and not the myths and half truths peddled by the same old suspects.
In fairness though,both Pro EU and Eurosceptic factions tilt the facts to suit their own ends,so it becomes rather difficult to recognize an honest and balanced view when, or indeed if, one is presented.
philgor:
what was it that dum bint in charge of germany said, oh yeah “most of europe speaks german and so should you (us)” or word to those effects…
This is another quote taken out of context by the Euro sceptic press.
She wasn’t referring to the German language at all, or that Britain would be using it soon.
She was saying, “we(Germany) are bailing them out so they’ll do it our way”, or in other words “we are paying the piper so we are calling the tunes”.
I feel a lot of the statements coming out of Germany that the Euro sceptic press is so quick to report, has more to do with German Politicians looking at thier popularity ratings which are taking a hammering as they handle the Eurozone Crisis.
I think this last year has put the nail in the coffin as far as the uk going towards the single currency. But it depends really if the government give the people a referendum or just do as they ■■■■■■■ well please like they done with the Lisbon treaty. They promised the people we would get a vote and they never gave us one because they knew they would lose.
If we joined the euro back in 2002 we would be standing shoulder to shoulder with germany paying Ireland debts and greeces debts. Where as now we can stand back and say offft nae luck germany. Our population would be subsidising other countries because of their lifestyle.
Germany tried dominate europe 60 year ago by force now they are trying to dominate europe 60 years on with money.
44 Tonne Ton:
You kinda missed the point Muckles which is the astonishing waste of resources by the buggers in Brussels who thought this was worthy of their attention. Paid for of course by you and I and a few others on here! You people keep defending this [zb], why I will never understand. It’s a bureaucratic monster which is virtually out of control.
No what I’m pointing out is you are reading stuff in a Right wing Euro sceptic paper, who have tilted a story about getting clear and accurate labelling of food stuff to stop companies making missleading claims.
Standardised labelling across the EU is a way of helping trade across the EU, which is what many Euro Sceptics keep saying was the original meaning of the EU, it means manufactuers of goods don’t have to change labelling or advertising to get into other markets, just a bit of translation.
I also get really annoyed by the Euro Sceptic press and thier misleading stories, we can’t have a proper debate about our place in the EU until we are given proper facts and not the myths and half truths peddled by the same old suspects.
This doesn’t mean I think the EU is the greatest thing ever and all is hunky doorey. The whole instituation needs massive reform a stop to expansion, but then of course business like expansion as it give them access to new markets and cheap labour.
I’ve always been a bit sceptical about the Euro although it makes my job far easier as I don’t have to carry different currencies and work out different exchange rates. I could never see how Countries with economies so different as Germany and Greece could share a currency.