Opinion poll shows euro`s continued unpopularity in Britain

London (ANTARA News) - British opposition to adopting the euro remains strong despite the weakness of the pound that has brought near-parity between the two currencies, an opinion poll published Thursday showed.

The ICM poll, conducted for BBC radio, showed that 10 years after the launch of the European single currency, 71 per cent of Britons reject the introduction of the euro in their country, while 23 per cent are in favour.

This week the euro climbed to a record high of 98 pence against the pound, while tourist rates are already seeing less than a euro given for each pound after commission charges.

When the euro began trading on January 4 1999, it stood at 71 pence against the pound.

Some analysts believe the euro could even become worth more than the pound, given that further interest rate cuts are in the pipeline in Britain.

However, the poll found that 69 per cent of Britons felt the recent changes in the value of their currency made no difference to whether Britain should join the euro.

Only 15 per cent said that the pound's fall made them more keen on ditching sterling for the euro.

The weakness of the pound has been linked as much to gloomy economic forecasts as to the state of Britain's public finances, as borrowing reached unprecedented levels.

However, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a strong opponent of the euro, has said he does not wish to see a revival of the euro debate in Britain.

Charles Kennedy, the former Liberal Party leader and president of the European Movement, was quoted by DPA as saying Thursday there should be a "consistent rolling review" of Britain's possible future adoption of the euro and the government should prepare for a "more informed public discussion."

In London, the 10th birthday today of the euro was due to be marked Thursday by members of the anti-European UK Independence Party (Ukip) burning bundles of euro notes outside the Bank of England headquarters.