The British... afraid of the euro and foreigners with straight bananas

Waterloo. A great European battle and a figure of speech (some say Tony Blair will meet his if we ever get a euro vote). There are Waterloos all over the country, so where better to find out how much the British know or care about the EU? We asked five people in five places the five key questions

Waterloo, Huddersfield

Waterloo, Huddersfield

Can you name one thing the constitution will change?

If the Prime Minister is going to have any chance of winning a referendum on the European constitution his first task will be explaining to the public what it is actually about. This may be tricky...

Sarah Calzert, 18, didn't know there would be a referendum, let alone what the outcome might mean for Britain.

David Cole, a 21-year-old student at Leeds Metropolitan University, was equally nonplussed when it came to identifying what the treaty would actually do. Granted, they are both in the age group least likely to vote, but Mr Cole is studying politics. Over at Waterloo Taxis, the owner, Charles Lonsdale, 72, was fairly sure that it had something to do with farmers' subsidies, while Simon Field, 29, manager of a carpet shop, thought it would mean the death of the pound. Gym owner Ifan Williams,53, was correct in saying that the new treaty would include passages laying down rules on employment.

The answer? See 'A new president ...', below.

Waterloo, London

Ten countries joined the EU last year. Can you name three of them?

The whole raison d'être of a constitution, claims the Government, is the arrival of 10 new members to the European club, raising the numbers to 25. On 1 May last year, eight central and eastern European countries plus Malta and Cyprus joined the EU.

At London's Waterloo station, commuters and traders had little difficulty in successfully naming Poland and the Czech Republic as two of the new entrants, but picking a third proved tricky. David Jordan, a 50-year-old businessman, correctly rattled off the Czech Republic, Poland and Lithuania. The station's flower-seller was also clued up: Andy Morgan,46, named the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Another businessman, Jean-Pierre Jokiel, 54, had the advantage of being French so perhaps knew a bit more about all things EU. However, he named Croatia which, as all EU-geeks will know, has applied to be a member but not been let in yet.

Then things went steadily downhill. Swapakumar Chakrabarti, 62, picked out Turkey and Norway (both wrong) and failed to name another. But at least he tried. Sandra Booker, a 48-year-old housewife, readily admitted she knew nothing about the European Union or its constitution at all.

The answer? Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Cyprus and Malta. Romania and Bulgaria are due to join in 2007; Croatia and Turkey are candidate countries.

Waterloo, Dorset

If we sign up, Britain will be forced to adopt the euro. True or false?

Since all three major political parties agreed in 1997 that there should be a referendum on the euro, the R-word has been indelibly linked in the minds of voters to a change in currency. A poll this month revealed that seven out of 10 voters believe signing up to the constitution will lead to Britain joining the euro.

In Britain's southern-most Waterloo, opinion was split. Both Jackie Whitford, 44, a hairdresser, and newsagent Toni Harris, 34, thought that Britain would have to sign up to the euro if the constitution was passed. Anne Bradbeer, 44, a post office manager, and 43-year-old Turon Ulah, who works in an Indian take-away, knew that wasn't the case. Pet shop owner, Peter Burton, 50, was also right but said he thought it would be a "step on to a slippery slope".

The answer? False. The constitution would make no difference to Britain's currency. Sterling will remain regardless of the referendum result. The Government is still committed to a further referendum on whether to join the euro once Gordon Brown's infamous five economic tests are finally all met. (Don't hold your breath.) Denmark and Sweden kept the krona.

Waterloo, Liverpool

Peter Mandelson is President of the European Union. True or false?

Peter Mandelson has, for some time, been New Labour's most outspoken advocate for Europe, talking up Britain's membership at every opportunity. Whether this has helped to sway a sceptical public is open to debate. After being forced to resign from the Cabinet twice his chances of another return to British politics were slight, and last year Tony Blair granted him a move to Brussels. But to what job?

The citizens of Merseyside's own Waterloo were fairly adamant he wasn't the EU's president. Only Matt Lyons, 58, a restaurant owner, thought it likely. Kevin Murphy, 59, Dianne Corkhill, 45, a landlady, 18-year-old Amy Speakman, and the local parish priest, Father John Cullen, 62, all identified this as a porky.

The answer? Peter Mandelson was named as Britain's EU commissioner by Tony Blair last year replacing the previous incumbents, Neil Kinnock and Leon Brittan. One of 25 commissioners, Mandelson is not the EU's president. There are, in fact, two people who can call themselves president. The former Portuguese prime minister, Jose Manuel Barroso, is president of the European Commission. There is also a president of the European Council, which currently rotates around the member states every six months. Until 1 July, the lucky incumbent is the Luxembourg premier, Jean-Claude Juncker. The role then passes to Tony Blair for the remainder of 2005.

Waterlooville, Hampshire

If you had to vote on the constitution today, would you vote yes or no?

Britain would vote no if the referendum were held now, says the most recent poll.

Andy Jackson, 26, would vote no to "keep our independence as a country". Sue Roy, 48, a travel agent, agrees: "I don't like the idea of this mega-Europe," she said. "Things would be better if we were not being told how straight our bananas should be." Fear of foreigners plays a part. Tremayne Fitch, 34, manager of a jewellery store, would prefer a vote on withdrawal. "I'm dead against being part of the EU," he said. "I definitely don't want to lose the pound and basically I can't stand foreigners." Matt Skyrme, 31, who works at the Red Lion, said he didn't want to be "controlled by some mad German individuals". But, he stressed, he didn't mean this "in a racist way". The one chink of light for the yes campaigners is Georgina Buckingham, a 28-year-old lettings manager, who said, "I just don't know enough about it yet. I like to be fully informed before I make decisions."

Reporting by Steve Bloomfield, Aidan O'Neill, Brooke Shippey and Lizzie Thornton

SO WHAT WILL IT REALLY CHANGE?

A new president, new laws, new rights, but the same flag

* The EU constitution runs to some 65,000 words, with attached annexes almost doubling its length.

* It formalises the flag of the EU ('a circle of 12 golden stars on a blue background'), the anthem (Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy'), and the currency, the euro.

* It creates a new president of the European Council, in which EU governments meet. He or she will serve for two and a half years, a term renewable once.

* A new voting system for member states, based on population sizes, is proposed, with the size of the European Commission slimmed as of 2014.

* A new EU foreign minister aims to raise Europe's profile and answer the question 'When you want to ring Europe, who do you call?'

* The constitution merges existing European treaties and gives the EU 'legal personality' - the power to sign treaties and sit on international bodies. The new exit clause allows countries to leave the EU.

* A Charter of Fundamental Rights enshrines minimum standards and freedoms.