The reluctant partner?
On January 1 2002, a symbolic revolution took place in continental Europe. Voluntarily, twelve of the European Union's fifteen member states gave up their own national currencies. In the space of a few months, Francs, Deutschemarks, Pesetas, Drachmas and many more will all be consigned to a footnote in history.
But - as with so many other European developments over the years - Britain has chosen not to be in at the start.
By the mid 1950s they'd extended their economic objectives, and in 1958, with the Treaty of Rome, the European Economic Community was born.
But Britain, still a substantial colonial power in the mid-fifties, stood aloof from economic co-operation with Europe.
Only in the 1960s, as Britain began to dismantle substantial parts of empire, did it turn towards its European neighbours.
Britain's application to join the new European club was finally accepted in 1971, a few months after de Gaulle's death. Britain formally became a member of the Common Market as it was then called on January 1, 1973.
As a sop to a vociferous anti-European minority within his own ranks, Harold Wilson announced a referendum. Ultimately, Britain voted "yes", but its commitment towards Europe has often been seen as less than wholehearted.
During the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher was, at best, a critical member of the European club.
In 1989, Britain alone, of all the 12 member states, opposed the idea of a Social Chapter to accompany the new moves towards European integration, which finally resulted in the Maastricht Treaty of 1992.
Britain eventually secured opt-outs from the Maastricht treaty on two of the most contentious areas - the Social Chapter and moves towards a single currency.
By the 2001 General Election, the Conservatives were openly hostile to any further strengthening of European ties: their election campaign that year was reduced to the shorthand phrase "save the pound" - in other words, no single currency.
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