Nine in ten 'back an EU referendum'
Monday, 3 March 2008 12:00 AM
Claims that nearly nine in ten Britons want a referendum on the EU treaty have been called into question.
Private polling that showed 88 per cent of the electorate want a public vote on the Lisbon treaty have been criticised for sampling too small a number of people.
The poll, conducted by the independent Electoral Reform Services for the I Want A Referendum (IWAR) Campaign, canvassed support for the Lisbon treaty in ten marginal Labour and Liberal Democrat constituencies.
Of the 420,000 voters targeted, 152,500 returned their ballots papers and 133,251 said they wanted a referendum.
When asked whether the UK should sign up to the EU treaty, some 89 per cent also voted against ratification.
With a turnout of 36.2 per cent, IWAR campaigners said this surpassed participation in local elections.
However, education minister Bill Rammell criticised the poll as "flawed" and said "real questions" needed to be answered by the organisers.
Speaking to the BBC's Politics Show he asked: "Why ten Labour and Liberal Democrat marginal constituencies? Why not one referendum in Ken Clarke's constituency, who is arguing against a referendum?"
Mr Rammell said the turnout in his own Harlow constituency had been "lower than in any local government election that I have ever participated in".
IWAR chairman Derek Scott said there was no reason to believe people not sent a ballot would have voted any differently.
"There is a very significant number of people across the country who want a referendum," he said.
Polls were also taken in Jacqui Smith's Redditch Constituency; Bolton West, home to transport secretary Ruth Kelly; and Europe minister Jim Murphy's Renfrewshire East seat.
The government maintains a referendum is not needed on the EU treaty, as it is an amending treaty and not the original constitutional treaty upon which Labour promised to hold a referendum.
The Conservatives are introducing a Commons amendment on Wednesday calling for a referendum and are hoping to pick up support from Liberal Democrat MPs and some Labour backbenchers.
It is reported that up to a quarter of Lib Dem MPs back a referendum but their leader Nick Clegg has attempted to duck the issue, calling instead for a wider referendum on the UK's future in the EU.
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