rebness | (no subject)

The Guardian reports today that the Pound has slipped below the Euro on the High Street. Now, this is a bit alarmist for The Guardian as it has actually only slipped below when commission and handling fees are taken into account, but the rate today does stand at 1.11, yet another drop with commentators suspecting it will reach parity soon.

I can't pretend I'm very bothered about it reaching parity right now. I'd love nothing more than not to be robbed blind when withdrawing my money in the UK and having silly exchange rates applied. Then again, it makes me worry for people like my parents, who are being priced out of travel across Europe because the weakening pound has seen prices on the Continent shooting up.

This is yet another reason why I despise Gordon Brown. The sensible thing to do would be to look at our options, to stop pandering to the Daily Fail et al and review the case for joining the Euro. What are the reasons against? Most of our trade is with the common market. We don't like the other countries? We're upset for reasons of sovereignty - after all, our German queen's head should be on that cheeky monopoly money, damned Germa... oh.

Switzerland, my favourite place ever, has just ratified the Schengen agreement so that the borders are now open and people shall no longer be harrassed by passport control every five minutes. Switzerland. It's not even part of the EU, yet they have Schengen. The UK refuses Schengen and the Euro. We want the good things that come with EU membership but refuse to budge on the craziest things. It's always been nice for us, crowing about the strength of our currency and our independence, but it's affecting the everyday people now. Whilst it ensures me a nice Christmas spending here and there and everywhere, we need to get the hell over ourselves and sort this out.

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Leave him alone! He only has one eye!

Let me poke the other one out!

Well the pound has not sunk so low as the South Pacific peso. But I must agree with you - if the UK is a part of the EU it should have the Euro as its currency and sign up to Schengen.

The worst part is that whenever Brown is cornered on such issues, he just whinges about Germany.

I am feeling this post on all accounts. The US acts the same way. Not that I expect to switch over to the Euro, but with that superiority, we want all the benefits and none of the work thing. And dont even get me started on the governmeent here for the past 8 years. *epic fail* President-elect Obama has a lot of work to do and I for one do not think he is up for the challenge....I dont think anyone is. But its a shame it had to be him, another brother will never get elected if he doesnt fix this. I wouldnt want to be in his shoes right now.

And I said all that to say what? I dont know, but the slashed prices in the mall and at the gas pump have been rockin. There are always little silver linings, even around the storm clouds. Someone benefits and someone else doesnt.

im not an expert on economics, but i see nothing but bad in a strong pound. a strong pound is only of benefit to importing goods and corporate money trading/laundering and individuals on holiday. Yet, we need to be exporting more, improve our services and manufacturing and to do that well in the EU i can see only benefits in having the euro. Sooner the better for me.

I don't understand economics but maybe joining the Euro would indeed be a good idea at this point. Would also like to see that open-borders thing implemented; it seems crazy that we're all supposed to be one big, happy EU, yet there's still border controls. Let's face it, the smugglers and terrorists don't seem to have much trouble getting from one country to another, so if the level of security we have is causing a lot of disadvantages and cost, maybe it is time to scale down.