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Thursday 5th November 2009 | 14:50

Public demand new referendum on Europe

A majority of the public would like a referendum on EU engagement and support the idea of a 'British law of sovereignty'. The signing of the Lisbon treaty is seen as a negative development, but the Conservatives tend not to be seen as having broken a promise.

A new PoliticsHome poll has found that almost two thirds of the public would like to have a referendum on renegotiating the UK’s relationship with the EU following the signing of the Lisbon Treaty by Czech President Vaclav Klaus.

Sixty three per cent of voters want a referendum on EU engagement. The figure includes clear majorities of Conservative supporters and non-aligned voters as well as about half of natural Labour and Liberal Democrat supporters.

Sovereignty law

In addition, seventy per cent of the public believe that a new ‘British law of sovereignty’, aimed at ensuring that ultimate power stays in the UK parliament, is a good idea.

Supporters of all parties and none tended to support the proposal, made by David Cameron in a speech on Wednesday.

Negative development

The signing of the Lisbon Treaty by Klaus means that the treaty now becomes law in all EU member states. Fifty seven per cent of voters see this as a negative development. Opinion was split on the issue, with Conservative supporters and non-aligned voters tending to view the development negatively, and Labour and Liberal Democrat identifiers viewing it positively.

A broken promise?

However, overall the Conservative party has avoided being blamed for changing its policy on a referendum. In 2007 David Cameron gave a 'cast iron guarantee' that a Conservative party would hold a referendum on any treaty that emerged from discussions.

But fifty two per cent see dropping this pledge as a fair adaptation of policy to fit new circumstances, rather than the breaking of a promise. Labour supporters were the only group to see it as a broken promise.

PoliticsHome interviewed 1167 UK adults by email between 4 and 5 November 2009. Results are weighted by party ID to reflect the UK at large.

Leave a comment...

AB

07:45 |
06 Nov 2009
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37

Ironic that Labour supporters think Cameron has broken his promise on a referendum when their beloved party has sold the country down the river so that Blair, Mandelson and Milibland can land cushy jobs in the Eurocracy.

Ian E

10:01 |
06 Nov 2009
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12

So, there is a big majority who want an EU referendum about our relationship with them. Now, as we all know we live in a democracy in which MPs are elected to carry out the will of their elctorate. Ergo, we must be about to get a referendum!

Don't you just love our representative democracy?

Gordon Brown

11:34 |
06 Nov 2009
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4

Oh Blimey,

What am I going to do now ??

Max Tasker

21:33 |
07 Nov 2009
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7

Labour are the party who has been in power for the last few years. They had the power to give us a referendum but wouldn't because they knew what the outcome would be.

Scot Richards

04:17 |
08 Nov 2009
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3

People need to stop claiming that there's nothing we can do after the Lisbon Treaty becomes law. There are LOTs of avenues open, including a repeal or an amendment of the original laws that integrated our system with that of the EU. It could even be argued in court that in signing the Lisbon treaty Gordon Brown acted ultra vires (above the law).

Moreover, I don't believe for a second that taking such action would be unpopular with the people of Europe. With the unelected pseudo-dictators, yes, but with the people, no. Such a move by the UK would indeed be an act of leadership and would be copied across Europe.

Another avenue that is clearly open today is to call a vote of no confidence in the House before December 1st. If there was any lingering doubt that the British ratification (what a perfect word to describe it) of Lisbon was in doubt then the EU could not possibly pass it into law. And we, the people, would see exactly who would vote for or against surrendering our sovereignty. Who would dare?

Now all we need to see is whether or not the Conservatives have a spine. Personally I wouldn't bet on it.

Sue

10:24 |
08 Nov 2009
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3

I am utterly disgusted and is despair that since the vote on the 'Common Market' - which I voted against; the British people have not had an opportunity to state their views on the increasing strangle hold that Europe has over us.

More choice of cheese is not exactly 'value for money' for the billions that we have paid in and seen wasted on the likes of butter mountains and bloated costs of running the bloody thing. Furthermore - we are a small country and we must control our borders - becaus (regardless of anything else) and we should immediately deport anyone who gains access has subsequently acted agaist the interests of any individual or the country as a whole.

Wake up Britain... Before it's too late.

And who represent my views? No one!

Steven McCaw

14:04 |
10 Nov 2009
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2

Actually, the BNP do. having voted Conservative all my life, it is now clear that only the BNP will take the action i want. I have had enough of the corrupt EU dictatorship taking our country, with the collusion of the Lib Lab Con traitors!

jack holland

22:37 |
08 Nov 2009
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1

A referendum WAS promised, if not given many will go to UKIP.

Let us reconsider the early ideas of Europe as a trading market, not ruled by them.

Steven McCaw

14:06 |
10 Nov 2009
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2

UKIP are a good choice, but I actually beleive the only way we are going to see justice for the treachery and corruption is to vote BNP.

John Shepherd

08:48 |
09 Nov 2009
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6

Two points. Firstly the conservatives haven't actually broken their promise. They stated that a public referendum would be held if the Liston Treaty hadn’t been signed by the time they get into power.

Secondly, I'm afraid most public supporters of the EU are totally ignorant of the facts, if they actually bothered to educated themselves and stop watching the biased BBC, they'd soon see the problems. Unfortunately most of the public only take notice when something actually affects their lives as opposed to being proactive about the facts. Political supporters however are simply towing the party line because they're spineless and just want to keep their non-jobs. Although equally ignorant, politicians are driven by greed and self interest, two traits we could well do without. But that said, as a member of the EU, we don’t actually need any politicians anymore anyway.

The EU has far too many bad implications to list in an email not to mention the fact that it’s crippling our country due to cost, emigration etc... We need out and we need out fast, even if this means putting our army on the south coast and forcing our way out. That’s the extreme of course; we just need the new Government to have some balls who’ll say enough is enough. We also need to stop importing so much crap and start manufacturing again. We need to take back ownership of our utilities and banks from foreign companies. We need to get rid of this pathetic human rights bill and punish criminals and louts. We need to start being proud to be British again. There’s more obviously, but it’s a start.

Steven McCaw

14:16 |
10 Nov 2009
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2

Cameron has lied, you are incorrect. We were offered an unconditional "cast iron" gaurantee that we would be given a referendum. Then he slipped in the condition "if it is not ratified". Pay attention!

I agree on your second point. Many supporters of the Eu do not recognise its quasi marxist totalitarian nature. The EU is a corrupt anti-democratic superstate, hell bent on securing total power (sorry, ever closer union) for the elites controlling it.

Both immigration and emmigration are costing this country, as is the cost of the plethora of petty regulations. Fancy setting up a business these days? i certainly dont fancy trying to compete with the globalised multinationals employing labour for a few pounds per day!

The cost of these illegal wars is astounding! Not just in monetary terms! The massacre of the Iraqis following the first gulf war was an abomination. Upto 1 million murdered by a mixture of radiation poisoning, and a deliberate witholding of essential medical supplies. Who knows what the purpose really was, to install the IMF / WB? To get their oil back to dollars? To install a more suitable puppet regime? And why are we in Afganistan??? There again, we do need to recruit some more Jihadis to fight against us, to give the establishement more escuse to remove our civil liberites!

If Hitler was alive today, he would support the EU, and would be a member of the Labour party! Liars, traitors and war criminals

Barbara

18:18 |
10 Nov 2009
0

Clearly most think Cameron has not broken his promise, I don't agree. He did make that promise and didn't explain what would happen if it had been ratified, therefore, they expected a referendum. Indeed, if we had one and the answer was No, then when he did begin new negociations he'd have a mandate off the people, but, he has no intention of even addressing the treaty during the first parliament at all. So all this talking is silly posturing and clearly a lie and deception by Cameron and the Conservatives. I think we should have the referendum almost right away after the election so the people have their say and politicians know what we want. I shall vote for another party not any of the main three, they've had their chance and failed us, time for a fresh start, new faces, new party.

Derek Emery

00:45 |
12 Nov 2009
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1

The problem is that the higher you go in politics and bureaucracy then the greater is total disassociation from any real understanding of the real world and how it works due to disinterest, and lack of experience and expertise. The bigger the institution the greater the incompetence of decision taking. Hence the EU is even more grossly incompetent than the UK as is amply illustrated as example by the EU regulations brought in on sea fishing resulting in fish stocks being virtually wiped out.

dAVID

19:44 |
14 Nov 2009
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1

i aGREE, a pROMISE IS A PROMISE AND SHOULD BE KEPT OTHERWISE WHAT EVER A POLTICIAN SAYS IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING.Todays politicians are extremely bad and it appears do not care about the electorate one jot as long as they get into parliament, get their feet under the table, en ter their expenses, receive the money, live on the tax payer and travel abroad at the taxpayers expense. return home and then lecture the same taxpayers on Global Warming.

Derek Jones

21:19 |
17 Nov 2009
0

It's quite obvious listening to all of the three main parties ,that despite the huge majority of the people who wish to have a referendum on the EU we won't get one. The only way that we will be heard is by taking to the streets, demad a referndum, and disobey all laws from Europe including those being forced on us by our own non democratic police force, who are now little more than our very own Stasi force. Britons arise!

Steven, London

13:44 |
18 Nov 2009
0

I look forward to an actual poll which I have no doubt will not look so nicely upon the current Tory party leadership.

I'm not the only one to have moved to UKIP following the treacherous stance of Labour, LibDem's, the Tories and even our Monarch who did not hold the lying parties to account on our behalf as she should have done as Head of State.

Britain needs to be done with this lunacy and start spending its funding on getting Britain right ... not worrying about the ex-soviet blocs, political ego's on the continent and in Britain, nor indeed on which rule of law holds firm for the British people.

We want a vote now, Europe - should Britain be in or out of a Federated European Superstate.

What sort of democracy has the politicians too afraid to ask the people what they really want ... no democracy is the only sensible answer ...

Ben Gross

10:12 |
03 Jan 2010
Recommended
1

Sack Brown, Sack NuLabour and keep working for a revised Referendum on our continued membership of the EU.

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Public opinion today

Public demand new referendum on Europe

A majority of the public would like a referendum on EU engagement and support the idea of a 'British law of sovereignty'. The signing of the Lisbon treaty is seen as a negative development, but the Conservatives tend not to be seen as having broken a promise.

Sovereignty law

Negative development

A broken promise?

Leave a comment...

AB

Ian E

Gordon Brown

Max Tasker

Scot Richards

Sue

Steven McCaw

jack holland

Steven McCaw

John Shepherd

Steven McCaw

Barbara

Derek Emery

dAVID

Derek Jones

Steven, London

Ben Gross

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