Whether jovial Ken Clarke or sober Iain Duncan Smith wins the Tory party leadership race, the plain and simple fact is that the Euro is almost

with us and, as RON GODFREY reports, North Yorkshire businesses need to take note...

TOO many business people in North Yorkshire are "playing ostrich" over the new Euro currency.

While rivals for the Tory leadership are taking verbal lumps out of one another on the vexed topic of the Euro, one certainty is being ignored. By them. And by too many business people in Yorkshire

Like it or not, the Euro IS coming.

Pro-European Kenneth Clarke and right winger Iain Duncan Smith may be locked in an ideological battle over the issue and Yorkshire business people may yawn in the hope that all this high politics goes away.

But come January 1, hell or high water, the Euro becomes a practical reality when Euro notes and coins go into circulation in the 12 Euro-zone countries of the EU.

But why single out Yorkshire exporters? Because, astonishingly, an HM Treasury survey in April indicated that fewer than 35 per cent of small businesses in our county that deal directly with Euro zone countries have made any kind of provision for the introduction of the new currency.

They haven't even started to look at changing their accountancy practices, let alone banking procedures, pricing and overall strategy to make sure that they stay in the Euro-loop.

Only time -- and, we are promised, a referendum -- will tell whether Britain falls in line with the new currency.

But the Euro will be the language of many of our business clients, given that Europe is Britain's largest single market.

In a bid to alert exporters in York and North Yorkshire to the dangers of continuing to bury their heads in sterling sand, there will be a special workshop at the York Marriott Hotel on Friday September 14.

The event is being organised by the Yorkshire and Humber Euro-Forum, one of 12 established in the economic regions of Britain by HM Treasury, primarily to help small and medium sized enterprises prepare for the new year introduction of the Euro and the plan is to offer advice and information.

Dr. Rex Clark, chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber Euro Forum said: "With just a few month to go, it is important for all businesses in York to evaluate and prepare for the likely impact of the single currency.

"Having such a large export and tourism market, the workshop will prove to be a valuable resource and provide practical information on how businesses can approach the change that will take place next year.

"It will also be a chance for York businesses to at least confirm that they are ready for the inevitable!

"The workshops will cover important operational and strategic issues with seminars from Fortis Bank, Hammond Suddards Edge, Mazars Neville Russell and Leeds Business School."

- To book your place at the workshop or for further information, please call 0845 140 2222 or fill out the form on-line at www.yh-euroforum.com