Tuesday, 7 December 2010

07-Dec-2010 - EXPRESS show British Believe The EU Harms Britain

EU CRUSADE: MOST AGREE BEING IN EU HAS HARMED BRITAIN

Statistics follow the Daily Express crusade to get Britain out of the EU.

Tuesday December 7,2010

By Macer Hall

NEARLY two thirds of Britons believe our country has been damaged by membership of the European Union, an opinion poll revealed last night.

Some 59 per cent of voters said Brussels has had a “negative” impact on the UK.

And for the first time in nearly four decades, almost half of them think we should quit the EU.

Public opposition to the EU appears to be hardening after billions of taxpayers’ money was poured into bail-outs for failing euro-zone economies.

The evidence of growing disillusionment with Brussels was revealed in a survey of more than 2,000 voters across the country by pollsters Angus Reid.

It follows the launch of the Daily Express crusade to get Britain out of the EU.

JOIN OUR CRUSADE TO GET BRITAIN OUT OF EUROPE HERE

Last night, Eurosceptic campaigners seized on the findings as confirmation that the time has come for the UK to quit.

Tory MP Douglas Carswell said: “This is very encouraging. It shows there is a huge number of people in the country who feel really strongly about this.

“Only the Daily Express and a few MPs at Westminster are speaking up for them. This is why the Daily Express needs to carry on with its crusade against Britain staying in the EU.

“This poll shows that wanting to leave the EU is no longer a fringe issue but has reached the mainstream of political opinion in this country.”

The poll found 30 per cent thought EU membership had been “very negative” for the UK while another 29 per cent said it had been “moderately negative”.

Even more significant was the growing support among voters for withdrawal.

Asked how they would vote if a referendum on EU membership was held in Britain, 48 per cent said they would vote against staying in the EU.

In June, the figure was 42 per cent, indicating support for withdrawal has grown. Only 27 per cent now want to stay in the EU.

Voters strongly oppose scrapping the pound. Eighty per cent said they would vote No in a referendum on whether Britain should join the euro, with just eight per cent in favour. UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, said: “This poll shows what people have known for a long time, but politicians refuse to acknowledge: EU membership is damaging our country.

“According to the three questions asked by the pollsters the answers are: we don’t like it, we don’t want it and we want to leave. Will our political class finally listen?”