Stan Hardy is a relaxed, balanced and equable kind of man.

Stan Hardy

His favourite hobbies are soothing pursuits such as the ballet, theatre, history and sailing.

But when he starts talking about the European single currency and the abolition of the pound, this demeanour changes completely from laid-back to livid - also fuelled by the latest beef crisis ructions between England and France which should now be resolving themselves.

The clash, he says, illustrates how on crucial issues EU countries make their own national interests paramount and all the more reason for not going down the road of the Euro

"I feel passionately about keeping the pound", says the 55-year-old York businessman who was educated at Archbishop Holgate's Grammar School. "It's not just an economic issue, although most British firms will be badly hit by the euro, it is also a moral and cultural one. I have two sons - and I do not want their birthright to be bequeathed to a federal European superstate."

That is why Mr Hardy, who is not naturally a political animal and has never belonged to a political party in his life, has become heavily involved with the high-profile Business For Sterling (BfS), the nationwide group which is putting the economic and business case for retaining the pound.

"My interest was really aroused in the spring of last year when I was asked to speak, in my capacity as a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD), at a debate on the euro in Leeds. The more I looked into the consequences of European economic monetary union, the more unsettled and worried I became," he explained.

"At the same time I was astonished by the lack of a well-informed national debate on one of the greatest changes this country has ever experienced. It seemed as though it was a question of when, rather than if, we joined the Euro," he said. "The British people, who should have been fully consulted on such an important issue, were simply not being given the facts."

That is not the case now. Thanks to the efforts of Business for Sterling (BfS) and other anti-euro (as opposed to anti-European) pressure groups, the European issue is now very high on the political agenda.

"The debate is now well and truly in the open and I'm delighted by that," said Mr Hardy, who relinquished his controlling interest in the York marketing and information firm Caprin earlier this year. "Now the country can make up its mind and, if it decides to vote for the Euro, that is fine. I'm a democrat and I'll accept that verdict at once," he said.

A poll among members of the IoD in Yorkshire underlines the unpopularity of the euro - with more than 75 per cent of those questioned saying they are against joining.

"That survey also nailed the lie that everyone who opposes the euro is an anti-European fanatic, which is currently being peddled about," he said. "More than 70 per cent questioned approved of the Single Market."

Mr Hardy continued: "The bottom line is that business will suffer if we adopt the euro. One managing director of a Yorkshire firm fears that a changeover to the euro will cost him £5,000. In a highly-competitive market, that is money he simply cannot afford - and why on earth should he?

And, with that, Mr Hardy is off - possibly for a soothing spot of sailing or a gentle visit to the ballet ...

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