Only 29% of Britons support full EU membership

On behalf of Open Europe, YouGov polled 1,000 people overnight and found the following results:

54% agreed with the statement that "The government should drop the Lisbon Treaty and not try and ratify it".

Just 14% agreed that "The government should carry on and ratify the Lisbon Treaty in the UK". 

Labour voters are 46% to 19% against continuing ratification of the Treaty.

29% said that "The UK should stay in the EU".

38% said that "The UK should stay in the single market but pull out of the other political elements of the EU".

24% said "The UK should leave the EU altogether".

65% agreed with the statement "The EU is out of touch with normal people".

88% said they could not name any of their MEPs.  Among those who did attempt to name some of their MEPs, the most popular choice was "Neil Kinnock".

Related link: William Hague responds to David Miliband's statement on the Lisbon Treaty

Comments

[Jonathan M. Scott]

That is a withdrawalist majority of 62%. Wow, surely that's the highest it's ever been?

It is clearly time for a referendum on EU membership, i.e.

(1) Full EU membership?
or
(2) Leave the EU, but be part of a trading bloc such as EFTA (European Free Trade Association)/EEA (European Economic Area)?

The lie about '3 million British jobs' depending on full EU membership has been exposed recently, for example, by Ruth Lea and others.

[referendumnow]

If the UK was in the EEA then it would have all the burdens of EU membership but none of the say.

As a Labour supporter I am very much in favour of a referendum as outlined above - it would split the Tory party from top to bottom and while about 20% of the Labour Party would join the withdrawalists, the alliance of David Cameron with the trots and loons would do mainstream Labour no end of good.

DC must wake up in a cold sweat just thinking about it.

Bring. It. On.

[Michael Veitch]

the clear message here is bring back the "In Europe, Not Run By Europe" campaign slogan/theme from 1999 for next years campaign. A clear, euro-sceptic message will be absolutely vital - was far too watered down in 2004 hence the very poor results.

[John W]

The country is becoming increasingly Euro sceptic. Cameron is a quite sceptic himself, and while he drives the pathetic socialists before him in the polls the Conservative Party will be solid as a rock.

I doubt very much at all wakes Cameron from his peaceful slumbers filled with dreams of life in number 10.

M. Referendumnow, it will be brought on, all in good time. And you, and all your socialist comrades who have worked so hard to destroy our country, will find yourself in the wilderness for years without number. Goodbye.

[MrB]

This is a very interesting poll- It would seem the country has become extremely Eurosceptic in a very short amount of time. Whilst I would like to believe the results, something tells me to take them with a bucket of salt.

[Iain]

"That is a withdrawalist majority of 62%. Wow,"
As a majority may be we will get a better representation from the politicians rather than being called swivel eyed racists.

Yet again it looks like the Westminster village is well out of touch with the people it claims to represent.

[Serf]

It would seem the country has become extremely Eurosceptic in a very short amount of time.

They see how Ireland is being treated. The truth is out, and the peasants are beginning to revolt.

No more acceptance of .... You can have any policy you want as long as its Federalism./b>

[Serf]

desperately closes HTML

[passing leftie]

This is a false choice, as you might expect from "Open" Europe.
This isn't a real option: "The UK should stay in the single market but pull out of the other political elements of the EU"

It could easily be rephrased "Would you like to have your cake and eat it too?"

Or, "Are you in favour of the good things in the EU, but against the bad things"?

24% of withdrawalistas is the real figure.

[johnse18]

Though I rarely agree with Passing Leftie, he (or she?) is right here.

It's a common trick. Give people 3 options where the middle one will be taken to favour your own side.

There is a psychological tendency of many people to plump for the middle option of 3. Then you add the two numbers and hey presto you have your majority.

EU-philes would phrase the missle option as "Stay in the EU but renegotiate the terms" and they would get their pro-EU majority.

Having said that, it should certainly be possible to get some sort of trading agreemtn with the EU from outside. Even Mexico has done just that.

[Jaz]

I'll stick with in Europe but not run by Europe.

I personally believe that the EU parliament should be made directly accountable and get rid of the commission altogether. The problem is accountability, and that PEOPLE do not feel in control of the EU, mainly because our own NATIONAL governments overrule the will of the people.

At the moment there is relative peace in the Conservative Party in regards to the EU - I don't think it will last, because certainly, I would never advocate withdrawing from the EU, and an like-minded person wouldn't either as some suggest.

[tired and emotional]

No so fast leftie, 62% of people do not wish to be governed by Brussels, according to the poll.

That means that 62% reject the EU-project of ever closer political union. The only question is how long it will take for the 38% to realise that we won't be allowed to belong to EEA/EFTA and be self-governing, unless something changes radically.

When people do realise the trap we are in they will reject even partial membership in favour of self-government. Most of the 38% will join the current 24% of absolutists, I predict.

That process will be accelerated as we observe how the Irish are ridiculed, bullied and finally ignored by the elites for daring to dissent from political correctness.

[Stewart Geddes]

You cannot be in Europe and not be run BY Europe.
There is a simple choice. Stay in or leave. The idea that we would be worse off is simply not supported by the evidence. The reverse is true.

The fact is that Europe would have to accommodate the 5th largest economy in the World on it's doorstep. They could not do anything else otherwise they would be worse off. In any case our withdrawal would probably bring the whole house of cards down as we are the second largest contributor to the organisation after Germany

[RichardJ]

"If the UK was in the EEA then it would have all the burdens of EU membership but none of the say."

This is true. We must therefore join just EFTA and negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU. What would they have to lose? The stubborn British would be out of the way but they would still have access to our markets.

[ACT]

All the more of a pity then that 100% of David Cameron supports 'full EU membership'.

[Patsy Sergeant]

referendumnow - its your lot, the trots and the loons that have just about ruined this country over the last ten years, so of course you are in favour of the EU taking over, then your MP's can keep gobbling up their fat salaries, while saying everytime things go wrong - 'Its not our fault, its the EU.'!

[Pete]

All three big parties are committed to staying in the EU, unlike the majority of the people it now seems.

"In Europe, not run by Europe" - the people aren't stupid enough to swallow that again, surely!

[Dale]

"This is a false choice, as you might expect from "Open" Europe.
This isn't a real option: "The UK should stay in the single market but pull out of the other political elements of the EU"

It could easily be rephrased "Would you like to have your cake and eat it too?"

Or, "Are you in favour of the good things in the EU, but against the bad things"?

24% of withdrawalistas is the real figure."

I have always felt that I look less of an idiot, if I actually READ what I'm commenting on.

The second option clearly says 'stay in the single market'. Which, regardless of your views on the eu, is ofcourse possible.

""If the UK was in the EEA then it would have all the burdens of EU membership but none of the say."

This is true. We must therefore join just EFTA and negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU. What would they have to lose? The stubborn British would be out of the way but they would still have access to our markets."

NO IT ISN'T TRUE!

We would still have a fraction of the burden because we would only have to enact a fraction of the laws ie only those affecting the single market. We would no longer have trade policy decided in brussels, or foreign policy, or enviromental policy, I could go on all day.

Not that I support joining efta or the eea.

[Libertarian]

Only four days before the Irish referendum, George Bush said “it’s in our interest that the EU be strong, vibrant, and it’s in our interests to work hard to have a partnership that solves problems.”

November can't come soon enough. The sooner that dangerous idiot Bush goes, the better.

Unfortunately, John McCain is an even bigger Europhile and a supporter of the Lisbon Treaty.

Vote Bob Barr, Libertarian Party candidate for President!

[Dale]

Richard North has started this petition:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Abandon-Lisbon/

[Dale]

Richard orth has sarted a eition <.A HREF="http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Abandon-Lisbon/"> CLICK HERE <./A>

[Dale]

You'll have to forgive me, It's been a long day.

I ofcourse meant Dr Richard North has started a petition

here

[Dale]

You'll have to forgive me, It's been a long day.

I ofcourse meant Dr Richard North has started a petition

here

[Nigel Syson]

How long before the proposed changes to 42 days detention without charge are used against opponents of the EU ?

Those of us whom believe in the Commom Law , Free Trade & Parliamentary Democracy have to support the better off out campaign.

[Philip]

29% said that "The UK should stay in the EU".
38% said that "The UK should stay in the single market but pull out of the other political elements of the EU".
24% said "The UK should leave the EU altogether".

So more want to stay in the single market but pull out of the other political elements of the EU. But will this option be available?

Interesting this poll says that only 29% want to stay in the EU.

[RichardJ]

"We would still have a fraction of the burden because we would only have to enact a fraction of the laws ie only those affecting the single market."

That's what I meant. The fraction itself is too much. All we should request is entrance to European markets and we will allow them entrance to ours.

We don't lose out by joining EFTA so we might as well.

[John Bull - Proud Englishman!]

"The clear message here is bring back the "In Europe, Not Run By Europe" campaign slogan/theme from 1999 for next years campaign".

Absolutely! It's time to ditch Cameron and get back Billy Hague and his Save the £ campaign!

If there's any lesson to take from 1999 and 2001 it's surely that us banging on about Europe is an electoral masterstroke!

Why talk about the cost of living, crime and economic growth when you can bang on about Europe!

Sod it, let's just put Bill Cash in charge and an electoral landslide is guaranteed!

[Dale]

"Why talk about the cost of living, crime and economic growth when you can bang on about Europe!

Sod it, let's just put Bill Cash in charge and an electoral landslide is guaranteed!"

I don't think that even the arch tory europhiles would suggest that European Parliamentery elections are not an appropriate time to talk about europe.

If you don't campaign on the issue of europe at euro elections, what do you campaign on?

Health? Education? the economy?

The idea that we shouldn't campaign on eu issues at ep elections is just staggering.

FYI We got 35% of the vote banging on about europe at a euro election in 1999, not a landlslide, but well above labour.

No wonder you used a pseudonym!

[Dale]

"Why talk about the cost of living, crime and economic growth when you can bang on about Europe!

Sod it, let's just put Bill Cash in charge and an electoral landslide is guaranteed!"

I don't think that even the arch tory europhiles would suggest that European Parliamentery elections are not an appropriate time to talk about europe.

If you don't campaign on the issue of europe at euro elections, what do you campaign on?

Health? Education? the economy?

The idea that we shouldn't campaign on eu issues at ep elections is just staggering.

FYI We got 35% of the vote banging on about europe at a euro election in 1999, not a landlslide, but well above labour.

Do people not engage their brains before they open thir mouthes (or in this case type something)

No wonder you used a pseudonym!

[John Bull - Proud Englishman!]

"FYI We got 35% of the vote banging on about europe at a euro election in 1999, not a landlslide, but well above labour".

My God, 35%! No wonder you want us to campaign on Europe!

35%! The stuff landslides are made of!

And then two years later when Billy Hague got on his Save the £ float we went on to destroy Labour at the General Election didn't we?! We absolutely mullered them!

I demand that Bill Cash lead this party and I demand that Dale be his deputy!

Onward, Englishmen, to the Brusselc citadel! Onward!

[Philip Jackson]

Proud Englishman!

Note that the wannabe satirist europoodle is too dumb to know that the 'cost of living, crime and economic growth' are all to be EU competencies.

[John Bull - Proud Englishman!]

"Note that the wannabe satirist europoodle is too dumb to know that the 'cost of living, crime and economic growth' are all to be EU competencies".

Yes, quite right!

Those awful German nationalists are intent upon implementing a Nazi monetary policy!

And obviously it is Barroso and not Brown/Darling who are responsible for British economic policy!

You are quite right!

Thank God for far-sighted Englishmen like yourself who can see the evil Brussels menace in its true colours!

[Gunther Verhguer]

Vot ungrateful Englischer ve haf here!

29%! Mein Gott! Ze EU is ze most glorious endeavour in ze history of ze world - and only 29% of Englischer are in favour!

You should count your fortune zat you are able to haf your monetary policy run from Frankfurt! We Germans are ze greatest monetary policy practitioners in ze history of mankind!

You Englischer can rot in ze splendid isolation or you can accept ze leadership of ze Vaterland! It is up to you! We vill not spend tears on ze Englischer!

But remember: ve haf ways of making ze Irish vote again!

[Dale]

"My God, 35%! No wonder you want us to campaign on Europe!

35%! The stuff landslides are made of!"

I clearly stated that 35% ws not a landslide, but was a 7% lead over labour and a 7% increase on the conservative party's share of the vote 5 years before when it stood on its europhile platform.

"And then two years later when Billy Hague got on his Save the £ float we went on to destroy Labour at the General Election didn't we?! We absolutely mullered them!"

Frst of all, kindly don't say 'we'.

Second, I have yet to see an argument made for banging on about europe at a general election, the poit that I made wasthat european elections shouldbe a time for debate on european politics.

Clearly you don't agree, perhaps it is because your politics are so out of tuch with the electorate.

PS

Trolling conservative blogs in the early hours of the morning says more than I ever could.

[Yet Another Anon]

35%! The stuff landslides are made of!
The combined Conservative and UKIP vote in the 2004 Euro elections added up to 44%, the Conservatives stuck with in Europe and not run by Europe and dropped to a bit over 28%, UKIP shot up to over 15% of the vote pushing the Liberal Democrats into fourth place, Labour slumped to 22%.

Something of a rejection of all forms of pro-Europeanism, next time UKIP could well be the largest British party in the EU and of course the DUP and UUP want to withdraw too.

[Simon Richards]

This demonstrates how false is the oft-repeated claim that only a "tiny minority" of "extremists" want to free Britain from the corrupt and anti-democratic European Union. It is time the Conservative Party recognised this and stopped treating those who believe we'd be BETTER OFF OUT like pariahs.

[Edward Huxley]

Messrs Cameron and Hague continue to press for a referendum, but they still stop short of promising a retrospective referendum if the treaty is ratified by Brown.

A government cannot bind its successor. Don`t they know that?

[Julian L Hawksworth]

This poll shows that opponents of the EU are not just a small group of fanatics or cranks. We should leave the EU.

There are plenty of reasons why joining EFTA would be a much better alternative.