Murdoch tells his newspapers to campaign against Britain joining the single currency

Rupert Murdoch dashed government hopes that his newspapers would support British membership of the euro by making it clear yesterday that he still opposed the single currency.

Speculation had been growing that The Times, in particular, might soften its hostility to the euro under its new editor, Robert Thomson, who has said that Mr Murdoch's executives are trusted to take their own independent decisions.

But, Mr Murdoch seemed unwilling to countenance a softening of the anti-euro line that has prevailed in his titles. His comments, made in an interview with the Financial Times, will make it difficult for Mr Thomson to forge his own editorial policy on the issue. They must also have been uncomfortable reading for the Prime Minister.

The avowed republican was significantly less relaxed about his newspapers supporting the euro than he was about their royalist coverage of the jubilee. Taking a side-swipe at France and perceived Continental bureaucracy, Mr Murdoch said he had a single message he would like his British papers to send in the event of a referendum, "Vote no". He continued: "Europe is made up of so many diverse cultures and histories that to slam it all together with a government of French bureaucrats answerable to nobody ... I cannot see anything but benefit by waiting."

He added: "The central issue is one of sovereignty. If you give up control of your currency, you are going to give up control of your tax system just as night follows day."

Mr Murdoch said he suspected Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, who received his warm endorsement, shared his misgivings about British membership. "I suspect he has some sympathy for that, but probably not to the point of it being a resigning issue."

He would be content, however, to see the Chancellor become Prime Minister. "He is a very deep Calvinist who believes in the duty of people to work and I approve of that very strongly," Mr Murdoch said.

The 71-year-old head of the News Corporation also addressed the issue of who will succeed him. Although his elder son, Lachlan, has been long considered the heir apparent and has "great leadership abilities", Mr Murdoch also spoke admiringly of his other son, James, and his "great business abilities". He suggested that the future leadership "will be more shared."

However, he ruled out a return to the Murdoch fold of another ­ formerly ­ favoured "son". Piers Morgan, now editor of the Daily Mirror and formerly editor of the News of the World, had burnt too many bridges, he said.

He suggested Mr Morgan was "a bright editor who needs a newspaper boss" and expressed amazement at the way the Daily Mirror had put itself in competition with the Daily Mail by becoming more serious, and with The Sun, by slashing the price.