Inside Story

Keeping the British pound

Was the UK right to stay out of the eurozone and will it now become more euro-resistant?

To keep or to ditch the British Pound has been an ongoing debate in the UK since the introduction of the euro, over a decade ago.

Since then, 16 of the 27 European Union members have adopted the single currency – forming what is known as the eurozone.

And now as they desperately try to resuscitate the euro and their economies, the UK looks on from the sidelines.

The eurozone crisis could result in an even more euro-resistant UK.

So, was it wise for the UK to stay out of the eurozone in the first place?

Inside Story, with presenter Hoda Abdelhamid, discusses with Patrick Minford, a professor of applied economics and a former adviser to the British treasury, Linda Yueh, an economics fellow at Oxford University, and Fred Simon, the editor of Euractiv, an online news service focussing on EU Affairs.

This episode of Inside Story aired from Monday, July 5, 2010.