Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has said he will use his best-selling UK newspapers to campaign against British euro membership if the government calls a referendum on the single currency.

Mr Murdoch told the Financial Times that he would like his UK newspapers to spread the message "vote no" in the run-up to a referendum.

"Europe is made up of so many diverse cultures and histories that to slam it altogether with a government of French bureaucrats answerable to nobody... I cannot see anything but benefit by waiting," he said.

Mr Murdoch's decision to use his media empire to oppose British euro entry comes as a blow to Tony Blair's government, which hopes to sign up to the single currency.

Vote winner

Mr Murdoch's mass-market titles, which include The Sun, The News of the World, the Times and the Sunday Times, could sway public opinion ahead of a referendum, affecting the outcome of the ballot.

With opinion polls consistently showing a majority against adopting the single currency, the government was already facing an uphill battle in its bid to persuade British voters of the benefits of euro membership.

The UK government is due next year to assess whether the British economy meets five self-imposed tests for euro membership.

It is expected to set a date for a referendum if it determines that these criteria have been met.

The UK, Sweden and Denmark are the only three European Union members not to have adopted the single currency.

Mr Murdoch also hinted that his sons Lachlan and James could end up sharing the leadership of News Corporation, the company that controls his press interests.

News Corporation is one of the world's largest media companies, with television, newspaper, film and internet operations spread across five continents.

It owns the Fox television and film businesses in the US, a stable of Australian and British newspapers, as well as the Harper Collins publishing group.