Did we miss the Euro boat?

[Eric the Viking]

OK . Lets be serious.

With sterling and the euro at almost parity did we miss a trick?

Should we have joined the single currency way back when?

Are we right to go it alone? Is it all too late now?

Who's off skiing in the Alps this Xmas?

[Bit of a Mink]

I have a theory Eric.
I dont trust the goverment one little bit.
I wouldnot be suprised if the powers that be are deliberately keeping the pound low and will push it further down if they can to cause hysteria so that the Brits practically beg for the euro and hey presto, the whole country is converted to euro swiftly and quietly with the minimum of objections.
Then you will see the prices hike up.
It's all a con.
What say the rest?

[Pentlandpirate]

Well the banks have stuffed us! I think we should get together and do them all out of business and start trading in beads and pebbles again.

[Bit of a Mink]

Or maybe Easdale Slate. Is that worth anything these days.?

By the way Pentland, thankyou for replying, I was feeling very sad, like being in an empty dancehall wih no Spiderman and nothing from Longshanks.
Oh dear Oh dear, we will be reduced to talking about the weather, bin day and lack of street lighting before long. I'm feeling rather chastened and blue.
Sad Mink

[NickB]

Well the banks have stuffed us! I think we should get together and do them all out of business and start trading in beads and pebbles again.

Not entirely a daft idea. Barter and LETS are both excellent ways of getting by without the banks.

Does anyone else find it ironic that a Labour government has privatised nearly everything else but nationalised the banks?

And does anyone really think that reducing the price of an Ipod from £39.90 to £39.10 is going to send everyone rushing out to empty their wallets and purses?

- NickB

[Eric the Viking]

Does anyone else find it ironic that a Labour government has privatised nearly everything else but nationalised the banks?

I dont think Brown and the Badger's 'buy now pay later' VAT will fool anyone or make much difference.

.....in fairness though it was that other lots' shortsightedness with regard to the single currency that set us down this rocky road.

I hear the value of Easdale slate has slumped against the stronger Spanish slate.

And worst still I'm only getting 10.5 NOK for each of your british pounds!

[longshanks]

Well the banks have stuffed us! I think we should get together and do them all out of business and start trading in beads and pebbles again.

Not entirely a daft idea. Barter and LETS are both excellent ways of getting by without the banks.


- NickB

Beg to oh so humbly differ me old buddies. Reverting to a bankless, cashless economy would take us back to life in the Dark Ages. Alright for a very few, maybe, but not so good for those who do not own the means of production. Can't see Scottish Hydro accepting your crochet work in exchange for their electricity eh.
As for joining the Euro...no way! Hand over control of our economy to the French and the Germans at the ECB ! darling Darling may be crap but at least he's our crap (xenophobia not intented Nick old bean).
If we'd been in the Euro over the last six years our debt bubble would have been even worse due to ECB rates being much lower than BoE rates (until recently)
We're €about to enter a period of Deflation which could finish our economy for ever. The BoE solution will be to crank up the printing presses for a while and then to asset buy before the solution causes hyperinflation. Eurozone will not be able to solve the deflation problem in this way (ask the Germans why)

TTFN
Shankers (acknowledging another by choice)

[Eric the Viking]

Hand over control of our economy to the French and the Germans at the ECB

You make it sound as though we are actually in

control

of our own economy at the moment.......

[Seventhseil]

"If we'd been in the Euro over the last six years our debt bubble would have been even worse due to ECB rates being much lower than BoE rates (until recently"

Why are we in a worse finantial hot water than most european countrys then??

[longshanks]

Because the French and the Germans have an aversion to personal debt and hardly borrow. Most Germans rent their own homes, Germany is the world's largest exporter by value and has the second largest balance of payments surplus. We have the second largest balance of payments deficit.
The smaller Euro countries are, though, probably worse off than us. Ireland may be close to going the same way as Iceland and the ClubMed countries are teetering.
Ls