The campaign believes the pound will remain the UK currency for the foreseeable future

The British anti-euro campaign is reviewing its future and is considering ending active campaigning because it no longer believes Britain will hold a referendum on joining the euro in the near future, the EUobserver has learned. Chancellor Gordon Brown announced last Wednesday (17 March) that Britain has not met the economic criteria he has set to join the euro and that he would examine the issue again next year. However, campaigners against Britain joining the single currency say that any possibility of the UK joining the euro remains remote until 2008. Sources close to the campaign believe that the Chancellor's recent statement on the euro shows that the Government is now years away from calling a vote on joining the single currency. Campaign Manager Matthew McGregor told the EUobserver, "if the Government does decide to call a referendum - and it now looks like a big if - the campaign will be ready to spring into action. But the reality is that opposition to joining the euro is so strong that the Government have all but given up on this for now". Recent polls show that support for the UK joining the single currency is 15 percent.