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There have been over these past few months, numerous people speculating upon the future of the Euro in terms the current economic crisis and the economic disparity of the countries within the Eurozone. It has always been my objection to the Euro, how on earth can you compare the German economy to the Greek or most others ?

I don’t want us in the UK to be within the Eurozone or for that matter, within the Political EU, that does not mean to say that I wish either any harm any more than I would say the USA and the Dollar, I just want Britain to be Britain once again.

The Problem

The EU sceptic MEP Daniel Hannan writing on his DT blog made the key point which is that the creation of the Euro was obviously a political rather than an economic decision and secondly that without German support, it is unsustainable as a currency but, the political capital already invested in it was likely to ensure its survival virtually at any cost.

As Germany is such a large and successful exporter of heavy engineering and therefore the global turn-down is hitting them hard, their confidence will be shaken and a yearning for the return of the Mark, strong. However in terms of the UK regaining its freedom, it is not in our interests for the Euro to collapse and neither for that matter, the EU, better terms and a friendlier parting will come from a prosperous EU rather than a poor one.

We in the UK Should be in the Eurozone…

There are many people who peddle this concept the most amusing of which was someone who suggested that our “Greatest Days” were during the ‘Empire’ and being part of a bigger bloc – silly sod.

“On ‘Empire’ I disagree simply because as you describe, it was one Country imposing its interests upon others which of course, led to the American War of Independence in one instance. However there is one point from that relative to the survival of both the EU and the Euro.

Whilst politically the EU under whatever name, has been a Franco German club, the only country that can impose the order and discipline required to hold the Eurozone together is Germany. And one may well argue that given the fact that all hinges around Germany and their taxpayers, savers, citizens, why should they not ‘get their way’ on most things, not my view but, a view never the less.”

We Are in Flux

“On trade, I also fundamentally disagree, the Devil is in the detail and you are pond skating. I have no wish to insult you but your approach is similar to Cavalry being deployed by all sides on the outbreak of WWI, inappropriate. The combination of “globalization” and technology have changed the game forever.

Sure people will still need to eat, wear clothes and have shelter, none of that will change but the rest will. I can remember some 30/40 years back, the big climatic change was “A New Ice Age” and now we have global warming.”

I attended a lecture some 30 years ago when the Speaker outlined what he saw as the biggest threat to our planet which he expressed as follows:

“When India and China want what America and the West have today, cars, central heating, air conditioning etc. The pressure on natural resources and the environment will destroy the ecology of our Planet.”

The Future

The notion that this current ‘Recession / Depression’ or whatever you want to call it will pass and things go back to where they were, is wrong, that it will pass is quite right, what then emerges, who knows ?

Yes gradually the economic activity globally will pick up but the economy that develops will become increasingly different. This ‘economic crisis’ is being blamed upon this or that – Sub-Prime, cheap short term money… But in fact I would suggest, what we have seen is the passing of a “Thoroughly Decayed Business Model”.

We can laugh at the people in charge of this failure including Gordon Brown but the majority were highly intelligent people who thought that they had found the secret of ‘perpetual motion’ instead of the frenzied activity prior to death.

The game of “exporting our pollution and dirty manufacturing jobs” ever eastward in pursuit of cheap labour, then re-importing ‘clean’ manufactured goods into our world is probably on the way out, ‘localization’ is a more likely movement in goods and services, as it already is in British politics.

The Devolution of more power to the Celtic nations within the UK is only the start, there is a lot more to be done in England and the English Counties where the main tax base is. The UK can move to a more “Federal System” of tax and governance because of historical bonds of blood and common language. To a citizen of London, ‘support revenues’ going to any other part of the UK is unremarkable, whether Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Swansea, Londonderry and so on, they are ‘family’.

None of these ‘concepts’ exist within the EU and frankly never will. Would someone in Bremen feel the same for German funding going to citizens of Crete ? I am happy to be a Brit and see no need for the Euro or being part of the EU either but, I wish both the Euro and the EU well, as we wave goodbye.