LONDON, Nov 26 - Most British voters remain opposed to joining the euro despite an easing of views towards the European Union, the British Social Attitudes Survey showed on Monday. Only 16 percent of Britons surveyed by the National Centre for Social Research said the pound should be replaced by the European single currency, unchanged from four years ago.
About 54 percent preferred to keep the pound as Britain's only currency. Another 28 percent of respondents -- five percent more than in 1997 -- favoured using both the pound and the euro in the UK. Prime Minister Tony Blair has stepped up calls for openness towards Europe in recent weeks, saying last Friday "Britain's future is inextricably linked with Europe." He also reaffirmed his intention to give the British public the final say on the euro in a referendum.
But this week's report showed the electorate remained sceptical about the single currency project. Even among declared Labour and Liberal Democrat supporters, only about 42 percent said they were behind the euro. Still, the report showed attitudes towards the European Union had warmed slightly since the Labour Party's 1997 election.
Just under 50 percent of respondents said they wanted to retain membership but reduce the EU's powers, unchanged from 1997. Another 23 percent said they were happy with EU membership as it was, up nine percent in the past four years. The report said Labour's devolution programme had led to a weaker sense of "Britishness" in the UK, perhaps strengthening opposition to Europe among the English.
About 47 percent of people in England said they considered themselves British rather than English, down from 63 percent in 1992. In Scotland, 80 percent described themselves as Scottish, compared to 13 percent who identify as British. In 1992 about a quarter described themselves as British.
Scots on the whole remained warmer towards the European Union than English voters. The report said English people are more opposed to European integration and tended to be less tolerant of ethnic minorities.