If the pound joins the EURO everybody would have the benefit of a stable economy.

Just wake up kids.

Ste, maancheno,

price for friendship with USA ;D

tom, huddersfield, uk

@ 80p to the euro.....well, time for the UK to join the common currency unless you guys are waiting till the pound reaches parity........just joking...take it easy.

Pascal-pierre, Dinan, EU (France)

Does it really matter if we can't afford to go to Europe for a holiday? We can always go to America. They speak English, the accommodation is much better there as is the weather, and at 2 dollars to the pound what a bargain.

I can assure you that the Europeans will be hurting far more than we will from the strong Euro. The Americans will import less from Europe because it is cheaper for them to manufacture their own products. There will be less tourism from both the UK and US. The problem is that by the time the Europeans get around to cutting interest rates it will be too late because they will already be in recession unlike the UK and the US which thanks to the swift actions of the Fed has narrowly avoided recession.

Unless you happen to own a Spanish property with a mortgage in Euros I would say a strong Euro benefits us far more than it does them. We can grow our own tomatoes and save food miles.

Giles, Basingstoke, Hampshure

I will be visiting the UK next week on business.It will be cheaper to fill the car up with petrol in the UK than in France.This has never been the case before.

stephen hulton, eure, france

Now is when we realize the big mistake of not joining the Euro, is getting more and more expensive to go on holidays abroad (EU countries) as the rate we get is ridiculous and basic products like lettuce, tomatoes and similar go over the roof due to the strengh of the euro, what's next in the succession of cock ups of our economy? (Heathrow's new terminal is not a valid answer...)

JM, london,

Is it any surprise Sterling is so low when the BoE is at best paying lip service to fighting inflation whilst ever increasing the money supply? It is not house price data that is leading to Sterling's fall it is the BoE inflating the money supply by creating currency out of thin air. Time for a rate hike Mervyn.

Paul, Coventry,

So much for Brown`s magic touch with the UK economy! Chickens (or should we say poulets?) certainly coming home to roost from all directions just in time for the French state visit... what say those now who were keenest to stay out of the strongest currency around....?

Maybe the rest of us should apply for the generous handouts from Brussels as political refugees from Labour`s gross squandering of our national wealth and heritage?

Basil Barwick , Bexhill, Sussex, UK

Well....at 80p to the euro...it's still a good rate....what if the euro reached partity? Time to opt for the euro then....:)))

Pascal-pierre, Dinan, EU (France)

Well, now we get to see if the EU commitment to free trade is real or not. If it is real, this will lead to a reversal of our trade deficit with Europe and an acceleration of exports to Europe, and if not, we'll see EU governments pulling all kinds of illegal stunts to exclude UK imports.

It would be ironic, wouldn't it, if we finished up as members of the EU, but also excluded from their Common Market.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/US