EU Chief Suggests Britain Must Adopt The Euro To Rejoin The EU | Jeremy Vine

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]Our next topic, would you rejoin the EU if it meant swapping the pound for the euro? 02078622222.

[00:00:06]The EU chief, Sandro Gozzi, who is the head of the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, said our return to the block could be fast-tracked if desired, but we'd have to join the euro like any other candidate currency. An EU return has been put back on the agenda thanks to potential challenges to Keir Starmer. Wes Streeting, for example, said the UK should do it one day. Andy Burnham said there was a long-term case for rejoining.

[00:00:32]Starmer has ruled out rejoining the EU, but he also over the weekend said started to talk about attempting to foster a closer relationship. And it then came out, amazingly, that we've actually directly discussed a customs union and been told no, sorry, cuz that's the halfway house. You're not allowed that. So, what we can't apparently give them is freedom of movement. And we haven't even thought about changing our currency. Oh my goodness. This will be fun, Yasmine.

[00:00:58]Yeah, it's not going to happen easily, you know. I don't think this country, which is always it's never quite lost its sense of being so extraordinary and special that >> Exceptionalism. exceptionalism. And it kind of bit at the empire thinking here.

[00:01:16]They don't have to take us in. We were good for you, the EU, in so many ways. We actually were very good for that entity. And we've forgotten that. It's not just about the economy. Like, we were the first country to pass equality laws. They didn't exist in the EU. And we influenced them into >> don't think we were like the the the the person I'm just trying to think of the analogy without being coarse, but it's the person who breaks wind in the yoga session. That wasn't You don't think that was us in the EU?

[00:01:51]We were the nuisance country. Yeah, well, exactly. Yeah. And so, you know, their their caution is understandable.

[00:01:58]But it's interesting there've been so many surveys, but the one the 61% at the moment want to be closer to the EU. Of 61% of who?

[00:02:11]Well, this is all the statistics that have >> Americans or Of of us. Oh, okay. So, 61% of us want to be closer, right?

[00:02:18]>> But 49% want to join the customs union, 46 the single market, and rejoin the EU is 53%. It's just edged up.

[00:02:27]>> Yeah, yeah. But I guess Okay, what do you think, Chloe? I think it's rubbish.

[00:02:31]>> [laughter] >> I think it's democratically tone deaf, economically a disaster, um and politically completely humiliating.

[00:02:40]So, I think the the idea of rejoining the EU on its own is is ridiculous.

[00:02:47]But the idea of joining the euro is laughable, and I think honestly that's the That's where I could see our country like the people actually revolting against the system. If the I mean, I I think it's it is laughable because this will never ever happen. I don't think you can say that. But but I think it it's it's a complete joke. I mean, one size fits all does not work for 450 million people with vastly different economies. How could you possibly think that would be a good idea? We're going to rely on the EU and they're going to change our, you know, we're going to rely on them for our interest rates and they're going to dictate to us. No way. The whole point of us being out is that we have this freedom to look after our own economy.

[00:03:27]And and that's actually what we've done with it.

[00:03:31]Yeah, cuz we were meant to have, weren't we, after Brexit? We were meant to The economy was meant to crash. We meant to have mass unemployment. We were meant to have a punishment budget from George Osborne. It never happened.

[00:03:42]>> news on our economy is terrible. And are you denying >> bad as bad as it was. In fairness, it's better than some European countries.

[00:03:51]>> not as bad as we were promised it would be. And also this point about democracy, I find that really ridiculous. I mean, it's like saying somebody won one of our elections, Labour or we must never have another election. What what's about the pound though? This is the key thing. Would you do you want to keep the pound?

[00:04:09]No. No.

[00:04:11]>> No. So you'd happy to go to the euro?

[00:04:13]Do you know, in the end this will happen because if for no other reason, we cannot depend on the US anymore for defense.

[00:04:20]>> Trump is only there for another 2 years.

[00:04:22]>> No, no, hang on. Let me speak finish my point. It's an important point. And after Ukraine, the EU EU and including Ukraine realize we have to be totally a unit to fight especially Russia. And it cannot happen with us in a corner somewhere living our own lives and being this independent chicken shop.

[00:04:44]I think the EU is is the architect of its own demise because it structurally has got massive structural issues and they are so rigid that they wouldn't adapt and they wouldn't change and that is why Brexit happened because they wouldn't listen to the to the complaints of people that things that weren't working. They were so reluctant to change anything. That's why Brexit happened. No, the Brexit happened because of Nigel Farage and all these guys who kind of tapped into the oh, we you know, we're exceptional. We cannot be part of the There's nothing like Britain. I would argue that I would argue that we are exceptional.

[00:05:17]economics. We know over and over again whether you're on the left or the right that our economy suffered because we left Europe the EU. We know that.

[00:05:27]>> Okay. Christopher Ring in Kent, do you think we will go back in if it involves taking up the euro?

[00:05:34]Oh, good morning, everybody. Uh no, I don't think we should go back into the EU under any circumstances. Uh I don't want to join that basket case of union again.

[00:05:43]Um it's run by unelected bureaucrats uh and they have this just like the lady said, they have this one-size-fits-all, which which doesn't work when you got so many countries with different economies and different cultures.

[00:05:54]>> But we aren't we aren't we since we left particularly when they're going to be taking on another nine countries who are much poorer, and there'll be a huge swathe of people moving across Europe. It just won't work.

[00:06:08]>> things have got better?

[00:06:10]I I I don't think things have been a disaster as they they they like to make out. I think certain things have got better. We've been able to make different trade deals.

[00:06:20]Immigration from the EU fell very sharply, which it was supposed to do.

[00:06:25]But I think if you look at the other countries in the EU, they've suffered exactly the same issues that we've suffered from. You know, low growth, the effect of COVID, the effect of the Ukraine war, and the issues in the Middle East. Okay, thank you. Everything move on. Thanks, Christopher. Ross in Glasgow, hi.

[00:06:40]Hi. But do you would you be prepared to give up the pound?

[00:06:44]I'd be So, I mean, we hardly use cash now. Everything's cards, so they could call it what they like. As far as I'm concerned, I think we should go back into the EU. In fact, I'm from Scotland.

[00:06:55]I thought we should never have left it in the first place.

[00:06:58]Um Go back in, have the euro.

[00:07:03]And this clinging to the pound, it's a English empire weird the best scenario.

[00:07:09]It just frustrates me all the time.

[00:07:12]>> What about Claudia's point that you'd have to take interest rates from the central bank in oh, Frankfurt?

[00:07:19]Well, I don't I don't I don't have a problem with it. We work We work as one unit. I mean, it works for the states, so there's all different levels of different states. That's a good The The difference with states is that if you got lose your job in New Hampshire, you can quite easily go across and work in California. Very different >> can't anymore.

[00:07:39]Not anymore.

[00:07:40]You can't move states. You can't just off to the United States.

[00:07:43]>> Talking generally here. In In In Europe, you can't leave your job in If you lose it in Manchester, you can't necessarily go to uh Macedonia because you've got so many differences of language and everything else. So, it's less mobile.

[00:08:15]>> [laughter] >> Thank you. That's very funny. Johnny North Yorkshire, hi.

[00:08:22]Hi Hi Hi Jeremy. Hi Hi. Hi. What do you think? Give up the pound to get back in?

[00:08:26]Well, well well, I don't think we'd have to give up the pound, but even if we did, the the euro is a stronger international currency than the pound anyway.

[00:08:34]And we're going to go with what the last caller said. I agree. The one before I don't agree. Well, for a start, we wouldn't lose the Commonwealth.

[00:08:41]And regarding international trade, it is a green issue to trade locally EU as opposed to international trade.

[00:08:49]You should be concerned about green issues.

[00:08:51]And also, we would um the the trade barrier would actually go.

[00:08:56]There wouldn't be the tariffs in quotes.

[00:08:59]Yeah, but let me let me let Put Claudia on to you cuz Claudia disagrees.

[00:09:04]Yeah.

[00:09:05]>> with Claudia. Sorry, get Claudia back on. Sorry. Go on.

[00:09:09]Talk to me, John.

[00:09:11]What What does What does Claudia say?

[00:09:12]What's your disagree Well, Claudia basically says, "Look, it doesn't work. It's as that simple.

[00:09:18]The EU doesn't work. And why would we rejoin it?

[00:09:22]>> Okay. Okay. Okay, the the EU, okay, everything's got its pitfalls. The EU does need improvement. Um I I I don't I disagree >> if a if a system is so unwilling to change, they're not willing to change, John. They're not interested in reform or change, and that's unfortunately why they've landed themselves this issue.

[00:09:42]Okay, a caller did say unelected bureaucrats. A a Euro MP is elected, and they're certainly not bureaucrats. We have a free vote to elect who we want when we get back into the EU on a on a EU on a EU um a Euro MP. They are elected, so they're not unelected bureaucrats.

[00:10:00]>> sorry, the commission isn't elected.

[00:10:01]Ursula von der Leyen isn't elected. And and our House of Lords is an unelected second chamber, and that's okay. And now our head of state isn't elected.

[00:10:12]>> Yeah, sure. And also we've got elected Yeah, but also being elected may not be the best thing in the world anyway when you look at what elections have given some >> Well, yeah, exactly. I think that's really dangerous stuff. That's the way of dictatorships.

[00:10:25]>> Okay. I think I think we need we need we need to be able to respond to British specific conditions in the economy, and we can't do that when we're part of the Euro. And they're decla- deciding the rates, the interest, all sorts, you know, anything to do with um with our economy.

[00:10:41]>> We would you would they're just not going to let us back in unless we accept free movement. They might if we said we'll accept free movement, they might let us back in with the pound, but they'll probably be >> I tell you there's not great enthusiasm for us reentering in some countries because of the way we behave and the way we constantly like you know, the UKIP lot and all the Brexit party, how they demeaned this really quite extraordinary experiment uh of of a united block, which I really think is wonderful. I also don't think there was that much enthusiasm within the UK for us to rejoin the EU.

[00:11:14]>> No, no, you're wrong.

[00:11:14]>> No, I'm not. It's been done. The polls are showing I think most people All the All the Brexiteers I know have said, you know, and I've I've asked this question, if you had the choice, would you rejoin?

[00:11:24]They say, "Well, no. It's done now. It divided the country. It dominated the headlines for years. It divided everyone. It's done now. Let's move on and make it work as best we can. Stop this talk of rejoining and getting the euros from the >> didn't get to vote for this. Well, that's what happens in life. The young don't get to vote. No, no. No. The young will get to vote at some point, but it might the EU might not want us.

[00:11:47]That's the key thing. And and Ursula von der Leyen is elected by the way by MEPs, although not by a popular vote.

[00:11:52]>> reason why young people aren't allowed to vote is cuz they're economically illiterate and they don't know they haven't lived in the world.

[00:11:58]>> are. There we are. Um shade thrown. They It's the papers and everything else.

[00:12:03]>> get to vote in our election. I've reading a thing.

[00:12:05]>> [laughter] >> They I've started again. So, you're Yes.