# Why won't the UK adopt the Euro? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 21, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549 "2008-02-21T13:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/41 "2008-02-22T03:41:08Z")
[QUOTE=ForumBot] “Germany” was only formed in 1871, [/QUOTE] When did Metternich refer to “the geographic expression of Germany”? ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/42 "2008-02-22T04:19:01Z")
1871 is Bismark. Metternick is the early 1800s. The difference between their rules was that under the unification in 1871, the people of Germany attempted to create a new German identity. The question of “what is German” took center stage as people convened in fraternities and discussed to create for themselves a national pride. Goethe, Beethoven, Wagner, these were considered the German ideals, examples of what “German” is going to be defined as. Meternick’s control was largely political and militaristic. The unification under Bismark was every bit as political as it was cultural. note: I’ve finished all my classes for a degree in German and, uh, let me tell you, we spend a _lot_ of time discussing this issue. I took an entire class on the crafting of German identity. I’m not claiming authority, but I’m not speaking from the ignorant, privileged stance only a foreigner could earn, either. All that said, though, they were rather fond of the Mark and quite sad to see it go. But I think shedding the Deutschmark was also a symbolic rejection of the past, in the form of all connections to the Reichmark. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/43 "2008-02-22T09:48:10Z")
[QUOTE=wolfstu] One issue I’ve heard about, the importance of which I’m not in a position to guage, is that the UK apparently still lets some private banks issue pound notes. The Euro is only supposed to be issued by national central banks, so this practice might have to end. [/QUOTE] Obligatory wikipedia article on [UK bank notes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banknotes_of_the_pound_sterling). You can get Bank of England notes which should be accepted anywhere in the UK and Channel Islands. The Channel Islands have their own notes, Scotland has three different banks that issue their own notes and Northern Ireland (bless us and our Space Shuttle fiver) has four. Whether they are legal tender in any area of the UK and whether someone will accept them or look at you all funny like, depends entirely on where in the UK you’re standing 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/44 "2008-02-22T10:52:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Whether they are legal tender in any area of the UK and whether someone will accept them or look at you all funny like, depends entirely on where in the UK you’re standing I found that the airport bar is good place for ‘laundering’ NI notes. I’d buy a pint with a NI 20 and get BOE change. I was a bit tipsy by the time I got my 4 NI 20’s changed. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/45 "2008-02-22T12:02:19Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] Whether they are legal tender in any area of the UK and whether someone will accept them or look at you all funny like, depends entirely on where in the UK you’re standing 😉 [/QUOTE] As does the meaning of ‘legal tender’ itself! ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/46 "2008-02-22T12:36:40Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] As does the meaning of ‘legal tender’ itself! [/QUOTE] I should have added that. Technically only Bank of England bank notes are legal tender, but the acceptability of other notes varies. Basically, if you’re stuck in Belfast with a mixture of Euro and Guernsey notes, you’re not going to be stuck. When I get a Clydesdale bank note, I usually spend it in Tescos or the Co-op, I feel guilty fobbing it off on a small corner shop :o ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/47 "2008-02-22T12:47:58Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] I should have added that. Technically only Bank of England bank notes are legal tender, but the acceptability of other notes varies. [/QUOTE] No, it’s even more complicated than that…in Scotland, the only banknotes which are legal tender are Bank of England ones below the value of five pounds. So since the ten bob & BofE £1 notes disappeared… And ‘legal tender’ has nothing to do with acceptability in a transaction, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/48 "2008-02-22T13:43:27Z")
If they just roll out the Euro in Northern Ireland I’ll be happy. A lot of places do accept the euro, but it’s not universal. I’ve said it before here but I find it funny that I can drive 65 miles and need to change currency but I can travel 1000 miles on a plane and still use my Euros. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/49 "2008-02-22T16:18:27Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] If they just roll out the Euro in Northern Ireland I’ll be happy [/QUOTE] When we achieve parity in petrol and lottery prices, I’ll agree 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/50 "2008-02-22T17:04:28Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] But isn’t a series of bridges that never existed as good as her Maj? [/QUOTE] How dare you sir? how _very_ dare you. Bloody Quisling ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/51 "2008-02-22T20:44:21Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] When did Metternich refer to “the geographic expression of Germany”? [/QUOTE] He never did, since he actually made his famously dismissive comment about Italy, not Germany. Though it may - or may not - be relevant to the thread that, [according to Bartleby.com](http://www.bartleby.com/66/89/45289.html), Bismarck later expressed much the same sentiment about Europe: “Whoever speaks of Europe is wrong: it is a geographical expression.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549/52 "2008-02-22T21:19:00Z")
[QUOTE=bonzer] He never did, since he actually made his famously dismissive comment about Italy, not Germany. [/QUOTE] I stand [corrected.](http://www.historians.org/projects/giroundtable/Italy/Italy1.htm) 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-the-uk-adopt-the-euro/438549.md?page=2)