EU President predicts Britain will join euro

The EU President predicts Britain will join the single currency.

But Romano Prodi says he is making "no forecast" on when the UK might sign up.

He says British entry would be welcomed.

"I know that any interference in British policy is negative. I have to behave well. I have to run well the euro," he told BBC Radio 4.

Mr Prodi added: "The UK is an essential part of Europe. Europe will profit from your entry."

He compared the impact of the new currency to the psychological pull of the United States dollar.

"How deep has the American identity because of the dollar? I think this thing will happen not immediately, but in the long term," he said.

"The nations will remain nations but this new reality will bring us together strongly. We are doing a new experiment and we are also changing the concept of the nation state in terms of how you will share sovereignty."

Bill Morris, leader of the Transport and General Workers Union, has urged Mr Blair to rule out a referendum on euro entry until after the next election so he could focus No 10's attention on public services.

He said it seemed that a "euro lemming leap ... in the dark" at this particular point was "not the best decision for Britain".