Is Gordon Brown's position on the euro shifting? That was the intriguing question raised today after Europe's top official suggested yesterday that "the people who matter" were having second thoughts about Britain's long-held opposition to single currency membership.

Downing Street was swift to stamp on the idea that the Government's position had changed. "Our position has not changed. We have no plans to join the euro, " Mr Brown's spokesman said this morning.

But who has been talking to Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission? He told French radio that the UK is "closer than ever before" to entering the single currency, because of the fallout from the global financial crisis.

He said that "people who matter in Britain are currently thinking about" membership, adding that the country was sufficiently pragmatic to drop its traditional hostility to the currency if there was a strong economic case.

"I'm not going to break the confidentiality of certain conversations, but some British politicians have already told me: 'If we had the euro, we would have been better off'," Mr Barroso said in an interview.

"The British have an enormous quality, one of many, that is they are pragmatic. This crisis has emphasised the importance of the euro, in Britain as well."

He added: "I don't mean this will happen tomorrow, I know that the majority are still opposed, but there is a period of consideration underway and the people who matter in Britain are currently thinking about it."

It would indeed be ironic if Mr Brown had altered his stance. He almost singlehandedly killed off Tony Blair's ambition to enter the euro during Labour 's first term.

Labour's position has always been that it favours the principle of membership but not until five economic tests set by the Treasury have been passed. Membership has twice been formally ruled out during this government and there would only be another "assessment" of the terms when progress has been made. At the last Budget it was not considered that that point had been reached.

There will be a suspicion that Mr Barroso hopes that Lord Mandelon's return to the Government will persuade Mr Brown that the time is right to look again. The Business Secretary wanted to go in originally and presumably that remains his long-term hope.

But Number 10's response suggests that Mr Brown is no mood to change his mind.

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