Cook plays down anti-euro poll

Most people are against scrapping the pound

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has played down a poll which suggests seven out of 10 voters are against scrapping the pound and joining the euro.

The survey of 1,000 people carried out by ICM for the BBC also suggests that only half the country believes Britain should remain in the European Union.

In principle Britain could benefit from being a member of the single currency but only if the economic conditions are right

Robin Cook

But Mr Cook insisted he was "not at all concerned" at the level of opposition to the euro and he stressed the number of people favouring withdrawal from the EU had actually dropped.

The poll in fact shows anti-euro feeling is hardening, with more people opposed to scrapping the pound than last year, when a similar poll was carried out.

Of those against, the vast majority say they would vote against joining the single currency even "if the value of the euro were to rise substantially against the pound".

Just one in five voters questioned believes that Britain should sign up to the euro - down three percentage points on last year.

Nearly one third of those questioned said Britain should leave the EU.

Some 53% said they supported Britain's membership, up from just 49% last year.

However, the poll reveals that in contrast to many other member states British people do not regard themselves as European.

Two out of three said they would describe themselves as British and not European. Just 3% said they would regard themselves as European first.

One in four said they would describe themselves as equally British and European.

The foreign secretary told BBC News the shift of 2% in euro support was "well within" the margin of error for opinion polls.

"I'm not at all concerned that most of the people of Britain are saying right now they would not join the single currency because right now we are not asking them to join the single currency.

"We have said that in principle Britain could benefit from being a member of the single currency but only if the economic conditions are right and we will assess that and we will bring that to the British people (in a referendum)."

Britons were "hard headed" and if they recognised the UK would do better in terms of jobs, investment and trade they would see the case for joining, Mr Cook claimed.

He said the poll showed the number of Britons favouring continued membership of the EU had "increased quite dramatically" while the total favouring withdrawal was down.

The foreign secretary was asked if he regretted last week's resignation of Peter Mandelson, seen alongside Mr Cook as one of the cabinet's strongest supporters of the euro.

Mr Cook said although he "very much" regretted the circumstances surrounding his former colleague's downfall, government policy on the euro had been "rock solid" since 1997 and would continue to be so.

Withdrawal 'not an issue'

On Tuesday the Conservatives said they would make the euro a key issue in the general election and Edward MacMillan Scott, the party's MEP leader, said the BBC poll was an endorsement of their policy of fighting to keep the pound.

But, he added, there was "no need" to discuss withdrawal from the EU as Britain could have the best of both worlds - remaining within the EU while enjoying good relations with, for example, members of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

But UK Independence Party MEP Nigel Farage said Britain would be better off economically and politically if it left the EU.

Above all, he told the BBC, it would mean getting "our self confidence and respect" back.

But the pro-European Britain in Europe campaign said the survey showed popular opinion had been "poisoned".

Campaign director Simon Buckby said: "Venomous campaigning against the euro by anti-Europeans has clearly poisoned the well of public opinion about EU membership.

"This poll reinforces the importance for pro-Europeans to argue the case for Britain in Europe."

Business for Sterling spokesman Dominic Cummings said: "These results are almost identical with our own - about a third would vote to leave the EU, but the majority of the public and business want to stay in the EU and keep the pound."