BUSINESSMAN Steve Kerner took his message to say 'No' to the euro on to the streets last week when he joined a van touring the south of England.

BUSINESSMAN Steve Kerner took his message to say 'No' to the euro on to the streets last week when he joined a van touring the south of England.

He was giving his support to a new national campaign against the euro spearheaded through an alliance between Business for Sterling and New Europe which believes Britain should stay in Europe but keep the pound.

Mr Kerner, who runs Kerner Telecom in Hillbottom Road, Sands, High Wycombe, and is on the southern committee for Business for Sterling, said: 'We seriously feel it will affect our international business.

'Our customers have made it very clear that they enjoy working with us, but they are not keen on working in euros.

'It would make us uncompetitive and from what I can see we are not alone.'

David Hearnshaw, chairman of Business For Sterling said people want to know the facts about the euro and the new campaign, which will include posters, a new website and a leaflet drop, aims to put forward the argument to every household in the south.

The launch of the campaign coincides with a call from chartered accountants Keen Phillips for more information on the euro.

Helen Phillips, partner at Keen Phillips in Station Road, Gerrrards Cross, questioned how the business community and public could make up its mind with so many conflicting reports on the subject.

She said: 'Many people share the views of certain Ministers that our joining the single currency eventually is inevitable, yet latest research shows that British support for the euro, according to a new survey by the European Union, is at all all-time low of 22 per cent.

But, Helen added, a new survey by the European Commission, based on data from EU banks, showed that British business already use the euro more than many of their rivals.

The survey found that British companies use the euro for 29 per cent of their international transactions (by volume), compared with 12.5 per cent in Germany and a European Union average of 23 per cent.

'The upshot is that British businesses already use the euro more than many of our rivals even though public support for the single currency is at its lowest level,' she said.

'It could be at least a year before a referendum is held to decide whether we join.

'In the meantime we need to know more of the pros and cons of joining or staying out.'