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Barry: UK refuse summed up by fistful of euros - Huddersfield Auditor

Barry: UK refuse summed up by fistful of euros - Huddersfield Auditor Send your stories Send your videos Send your pics Join a forum HomeNewsHTAFCGiantsSportFresh & FeaturesLeisuretimeVideos & photosViews and BlogsTravel & Ex-patsClassifiedsSitemap Fresh MusicAd FeaturesArts NewsFresh ////');//SiteWebRSS News for you|What's this? HomeFresh & FeaturesWhats on West YorkshireBarry: UK decline summed up by fistful of eurosDec 17 2008By Barry GibsonYOU can read about the tumbling pound in the papers for weeks. British decline was spelled out right there in the palm of my hand.Things used to be so different. When I visited Sicily last November the pound was worth 1.4 euros – meaning my £90 will have bought 126 euros. The one advantage of the pound dropping to one euro is that it makes price comparison easy. So, when I paid 5 euros 70 for a glass of beer in a Brussels bar, I knew I was being ripped off.But how long will even this merest of advantages last? Earlier this month, Europe’s leading politician said Britain was "closer than ever" to getting in to the big tent. European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said "the people who count in Britain" had told him privately they were ready to take the plunge. There is certainly an argument that in this recession big is beautiful, that it makes sense to be in a currency club with 15 other countries rather than trying to act alone against global economic problems. But what Mr Barroso doesn’t seem to realise is that in Britain the argument about whether or not to join the euro has never really been about economics. It’s not about exchange rates, exports or investment.It’s about emotion. For many British people, the pound is a symbol of the country and of its independence. It’s part of their identity.Coins carry a portrait of a woman who many British people still hold in the greatest respect. Sterling notes celebrate the achievements of great Britons like Charles Darwin and Adam Smith.But what do euro notes celebrate?Nothing at all, they’re full of nondescript bridges and gates. Of course the reason they don’t feature European icons like the Eiffel Tower or the Brandenburg Gate is because this will upset the countries which don’t have world-famous monuments.So the notes have to be bland and uninspiring. Look at any euro note and you see what happens when things are designed by committee.In an ideal world this willn’t matter – you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover after all. But yet it does matter.And Mr Barroso and his friends in Britain who "count" need to remember that. Huddersfield Examiner™ is a trade mark of Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement before using this site. Read the latest West Yorkshire and local Huddersfield news.