The electorate will decide whether Britain joins the euro, foreign secretary Jack Straw has said.

He repeated that the issue of the European single currency was not a decision for individual ministers or the whole government.

His comments, to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Tuesday, followed small business minister Nigel Griffiths' prediction that the UK would enter the "eurozone" within the next two years.

"I think we will be in [the euro] within two years if things go as they are and we meet our economic tests and my hunch is we will," said Griffiths.

"Any business that I visit tends to be neutral, relaxed about it and otherwise fairly enthusiastic. We will learn the lessons of France, Portugal and other countries who have bought into the euro."

In response, Straw dismissed the claim as "his hunch".

"What is likely to be the case, or certain to be the case, is that by next June there will be published the technical and economic assessment. There are five tests which we in the government will be following as to whether or not we recommend to the British people we should join the euro," the foreign secretary said.

"And the decision, let's remember, is not a matter for any individual members of the government, nor for the government as a whole. The final decision will be made by the British people in the secrecy of the ballot box. I am certainly not going to speculate about whether they say yes or no, nor whether we say yes or no.''

"We agree with the idea of the euro in principle, we've already accepted that at a political level. The question is, does it meet those five tests, which are principally about whether the euro and the euro economies have converged and will converge sufficiently with the UK's economy," he added.

Opposition MPs and anti-euro campaigners seized on the latest round of hints from ministers.

Shadow chancellor Michael Howard called on the government to "stop playing games" over the euro.

"If they want to go in they should stop talking about it and concentrate on dealing with the crisis within our public services," he said.

Simon Buckby, campaign director at Britain in Europe, claimed that the comments made by Griffiths showed he was under increasing pressure over the issue from business.

"He is clearly under growing pressure from Britain's SMEs who are paying a rising price for our isolation from the euro, and now want action from the government. A referendum now seems more likely than not, and sooner rather than later," he said.