The French will still be French, the Irish will still be Irish, the Italians will still make the best coffee

Once people get the euro in their hands, they will see that it's just another currency, and it doesn't hurt!

Anyone who goes from our country to the eurozone for holidays or work - as millions do every year - will find a single currency very convenient.

And the great majority of British High Street stores as well as banks and building societies will accept Euros as easily as they do pounds and pence.

The doomsayers will be proved wrong.

For years Europhobic newspapers have gleefully been predicting chaos and disaster when the changeover comes.

'Hiccups'

The Telegraph even warned of civil unrest.

I'm sure there will be hiccups - there certainly were when Britain went decimal in 1971 - but that won't last long.

And people in the euro countries have not lost their identity, their sovereignty or their independence on 1 January, 2002.

They have not "surrendered" to anybody.

The French are still be French, the Irish are still Irish, the Italians still make the best coffee.

In other words, their way of life has not changed - except for the added convenience, security and stability which the euro brings.

'Outfluence'

As time goes on, people will increasingly see that there is a price to be paid for remaining outside the euro.

I don't think that Britain is losing too much ground by not being in at the start.

But a prolonged absence would have costs for Britain - both economic and political.

Being in the EU and the single market, but not in the euro, means bearing all of the consequences of the currency but having no influence in the decisions which govern it.

That is not a good deal for Britain.

You have to be in to have influence.

There's no such thing as outfluence.