I voted for March, but I think it will actually happen well before that.
I'm afraid I disagree with RWB's analysis, and don't think the Euro is all that overvalued, not compared with the pound, anyway. They may be in a bad state, but ours is worse.
When/if it does get down to parity, that might be the time for us to enter the Euro. According to some of the tabloids, this is on the cards anyway.
Inflationary effects: Good point there, and I think the recent reduction in VAT has had a hidden inflationary effect. Why? Well, for example, Waitrose (in common with many competitors, I believe), took the decision not to go around reducing the price of all its VAT-able goods, but to "invest the money" that the VAT-reduction would mean in reducing its prices (selectively) across the whole range.
Well, "hmmm" on two accounts:
1) This means that (by definition), in order to keep the price of its VAT-able good the same, they must have actually _increased_ the net price of those goods to make the end price at the newly reduced rate of VAT the same, resulting in more profit for Waitrose, and no saving for the purchasers of those items.
2) This selective reduction in prices ... sounds good in theory "we have reduced the prices of goods you buy frequently instead of reducing the prices of items (e.g. toiletries) that you only buy now and again..". Well, what this means in practice is that they have second-guessed what I am supposed to buy frequently, and surprise surprise, guessed wrong. Not a single item that I do actually buy at least once a week has come down in price. One item that I do buy once every few weeks has come down, admittedly. None of the items that I buy frequently which are actually VAT-able has come down (see above).
I think this will actually backfire on them, as I am sure other people will notice the same effect, even if they do not scrutinise their till-receipts as closely as I always do (me, a nerd, nah!...).
This was all done by agreement with the Treasury, apparently....another "hmmmm"!
Regards,
M.