As sterling sinks to a 7-1/2 year low against the dollar, traders and investors are wondering who was the established political figure that made the following comments when Britain was kicked out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992.

“A weak currency arises from a weak economy which in turn is the result of a weak government.”

Answer: Gordon Brown, then Shadow Chancellor, in an article in London’s Evening Standard newspaper.

Britons are not only having to contend with a pound falling to near parity with the euro and hitting multi-year lows against the dollar, they are also now being weighed down with change.

The country has long been one for coinage. The smallest note is for five pounds, which earlier this year was worth about $10 and is now around a mere $6.50. No equivalent of the paper dollar and hence lost of change.

Now, however, pockets are filling up with more pennies than usual, courtesy of one of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s economic stimulus plans. Brown cut 2.5 percent off value-added tax. So now a £3.50 film rental costs £3.41 and a $2.15 coffee is £2.09. Lots of increasingly worthless coppers floating around — unless of course deflation joins the party.

A dramatic last-minute hitch to plans for France’s EDF to buy British Energy leaves managements, shareholders and especially the British government in a quandary.

It was a 12 billion pounds ($24 billion) deal that was supposed to relaunch Britain’s nuclear energy programme. Everyone had been told to expect it. In fact, the collapse of talks came too late for French newspapers, several of which had been briefed on the deal and splashed it prominently on their front pages on Friday.

In end, however, big insitutional investors persuaded British Energy to reject EDF’s offer as low-ball, despite the best endeavours of the British government, with a 35-percent stake. 

So what happens next? Talks are continuing and British business minister John Hutton says he remains convinced an EDF takeover makes sense; yet the gulf between the EDF and British Energy boards on price is clearly substantial. British Energy says there can be no certainty of any deal.

It is yet another headache to spoil Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s summer holiday, as his popularity slumps to a record low .

(Reuters photo: A sign is seen on the security fence of British Energy’s Heysham nuclear power station)