Britons think euro entry 'inevitable'

The UK will assess the euro after the next election

Britons expect to join Europe's single currency within 10 years in spite of Denmark's rejection of the euro, an opinion poll has suggested.

The poll, carried out by Mori for euro campaigner Graham Bishop, found that nearly two-thirds of those questioned thought they would be using the new currency by 2010.

The survey compares with others that regularly show a large majority of Britons opposed to giving up the pound.

Poll's main findings

61% of Britons expect to be using the euro by 2010

26% think it unlikely

52% of Britons do not expect to be using the euro by 2005

36% think they will

Bishop says that since European economic and monetary union kicked off in January last year, an average of 58% of people polled have rejected euro entry.

However that figure has climbed in recent months to near 70%.

The latest Mori poll found that 61% of the British public expect to be using euro notes and coins by 2010 compared with 26% who think it unlikely - a margin of more than two to one.

It rose to more than three to one when the date was put at 2015.

A similar poll in February last year showed that 67% of respondents felt entry by 2010 was inevitable.

The latest poll took a sample of 2,000 people in face-to-face interviews shortly after the Danish referendum on 28 September.

"The idea that our decision would be made by the Danes, as some people were saying, has been shown to be ridiculous," Bishop said.

However, according to the poll, most people think early entry is unlikely.

It showed 52% of people do not expect to be using the new currency by 2005, against 36% who do.

The government is committed in principle to joining the euro subject to a number of economic tests.