Pound to euro exchange rate: sterling ‘gains’ ahead of brexit vote
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The pound has risen against the euro by three cents in a boosted exchange rate. GBP rose against other major currencies too thanks to the improved status of sterling. The surge comes ahead
of Parliament’s vote today on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal amendment. Brexit will continue to serve as a barometer for the pound’s movement this week, experts have said. The
pound is currently trading at €1.150 against the euro, according to Bloomberg at the time of writing. Laura Parsons, currency analyst at TorFX, spoke to Express.co.uk regarding the latest
exchange rate figures. “Brexit speculation lit a fire under the pound last week and sent the GBP/EUR exchange rate three cents higher to trade in the region of €1.156,” said Parsons.
“Sterling also gained against the other majors ahead of Tuesday’s vote on PM Theresa May’s Brexit deal. “While that will be the week’s main UK news, we’ve also got speeches from Bank of
England (BoE) officials and UK confidence data on the horizon.” Earlier this month, the Prime Minister’s original Brexit deal was rejected by MPs in Parliament. Today, when they vote on the
series of amendments made, all eyes will be on Speaker John Bercow, who has the power to decide which amendments get put to a vote and which are thrown out of the Commons. MPs have tabled
amendments promoting a range of Brexit outcomes from an extension of the negotiation process, to a ban on no-deal, a second referendum or a time-limited Irish backstop. The Brady Amendment
proposes the entire Irish backstop agreement be dumped by the government and the EU, or that a firm time limit would be placed on such an arrangement. May is being encouraged to back this.
Any changes to Plan A which secure a majority will not be binding on the Government but will put much political pressure on the PM as she prepares to resume talks with Brussels on the way
ahead. The pound benefited from a major boost at the end of last week thanks to a report claiming Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party has privately decided to conditionally
back Mrs May's Brexit deal. Sterling’s performance saw the pound rise to a 19 month high against the euro. So what does this all mean for holidaymakers? Greg Baggio, Head of FX at P2P
travel money provider WeSwap, said: "In January, the pound saw its weakest trade against the dollar in the past year. “With regards to its performance against the euro, holidaymakers
may have been disheartened to see their finances worth less than they may have anticipated. And yet, mere days before Theresa May brings her Plan B for Brexit to Parliament, the pound has
reached a twelve month high against the euro. “With uncertainty still manipulating the value of currencies, in addition to political news causing unpredictable shifts, holidaymakers need to
think strategically around timings for currency exchanges. “If timed carefully, their swaps can work to their advantage. For holidaymakers, now may be a good time to buy your foreign
currency before any other announcements have the opportunity to affect the exchange rate." Anyone heading abroad should check their passport. Martin Lewis has warned viewers on This
Morning about travelling to Europe after the UK leaves the EU in March. He warned those whose passport expiration date is soon approaching the steps they must take.