Majority of British public wants to leave EU(Poll suggests)

[Reece]

The Conservatives and the United Kingdom Independence Party were "at war" tonight as they both rejected a controversial call by a senior Tory for them to forge an electoral pact.

Michael Fabricant, a Tory vice-chairman, exposed his party's fears about Ukip's advance by proposing the anti-EU party stand aside at the 2015 election in return for a referendum on EU membership. The call struck a chord among many Tory MPs but was disowned by the party leadership.

The turmoil came amid fresh evidence that the public is turning against the European Union. A ComRes survey for The Independent found that a majority of people (54 per cent) want Britain to leave the EU provided it could keep its close trade relationship with the bloc, while 36 per cent disagree.

The finding suggests that Eurosceptics who want the UK to withdraw from the EU might be able to win an “in/out” referendum if they could persuade the public that trade ties with the other 26 EU members would not be damaged. Pro-EU campaigners claim Britain would have little say over trade rules if it left.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage contemptuously dismissed the proposal by Michael Fabricant, a Conservative vice-chairman, for an electoral pact with the Tories. Mr Fabricant provoked uproar by suggesting that Ukip could step aside at the next election in return for a promise by the Prime Minister to hold a referendum on Britain’s EU membership, as The Independent disclosed yesterday.

Mr Farage insisted his party was “at war” with the Tories, declaring that he could not even contemplate speaking to them while Mr Cameron was leader because he had broken a previous promise to hold a Europe referendum.

The Conservatives “categorically” ruled out any prospect of a deal. Grant Shapps, the Tory chairman, said: “I want to win the next election outright of course for the Conservatives so that we have an outright majority and we don’t have to be in coalition.”

A Tory spokesman said: “Michael Fabricant does a great job campaigning in by-elections but he doesn’t speak for the party on this issue. The safest way to protect Britain’s interest in Europe is to vote Conservative. That’s why we’ll have Conservative candidates in every seat at the next election.”

But Mr Fabricant won the support of fellow Tory MP Stewart Jackson, who warned that Ukip could do “very serious damage” to the Conservatives at the ballot box. He called on the Prime Minister to “show real leadership” by calling a referendum on EU membership alongside the next general election.

According to ComRes, people are evenly divided on whether Britain should remain a full member of the EU. Some 46 per cent agree, while 45 per cent disagree. Those aged 18-34 are the most likely age group to agree (71 per cent), compared to 34 per cent of those aged 65 and over.

Labour’s 11-point lead in its last survey for The Independent four weeks ago has dropped to seven points. Labour is on 42 per cent (down two points), the Conservatives 35 per cent (up two points), the Liberal Democrats 10 per cent (down two points) and others 13 per cent (up two points). The figures would give Labour an overall majority of 84.

Ukip is up one point to 6 per cent. Some 7 per cent of people who voted Conservative at the 2010 election now support Ukip, as do 3 per cent those who voted Labour.

ComRes interviewed 1,002 GB adults by telephone between 23-25 November. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults. Data were also weighted by past vote recall. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

[Gandalf]

If you tell enough BS about the EU people will fall for it.
However when leaving the EU the UK would not want to lose the trade partnership as if their export customers in Europe will have to pay 14% extra taxes it will not be very good for the British economy.

Now the thing is if they go out, then go out fully and not just remove the contribution but keeping the benefits...

[Mikal]

This is something they should really think about. :poke:

[Jubin]

This is something they should really think about. :poke:

Why is that?

[[WS]Jacob]

Why is that?

We are being asked to pay more than anyone else to be in the EU to bail the other countries out from a recession. No thanks.

[Batta]

Now the thing is if they go out, then go out fully and not just remove the contribution but keeping the benefits...

Would be too easy, indeed.

[Jubin]

We are being asked to pay more than anyone else to be in the EU to bail the other countries out from a recession. No thanks.

Any actual numbers to back this up?

[Mikal]

I read up on this, apparently Germany wants the UK out of the EU regardless, and TBH I say..
The UK would be better off without the hassle of the EU, the UK pays so so much into the EU and for what? To be made part of a collapsing union that only moans and groans at the UK's PM 24/7, it's said the UK need's the EU for nothing but security, but why would a national power such as the UK need security from a union which can't even manage it's finances properly, sure the alliance that the UK has with the rest of Europe is great, probibly a better alliance than the UK has with the US and it needs to be kept, but without the EU, being direct neighbors and all, but it looks like allies are nothing but problems, the EU is a drain on the UK's economy and all the US is do is moan at the UK about how the Falklands belong to Argentina, despite the fact that the UK discovered them and was the first to have a man step foot on it, nobody can keep their nose out of other shit. :poke:

[Ratko Gavrilovic]

The EU is a mess and not necessary for the UK.
I don't know why countries outside of the EU like Turkey and Serbia still wish to join it.

[Huntsman]

Lithuanians dont want to be in EU either. They call EU another USSR, with a little bit more freedom.

[Kirgiz]

The EU is a mess and not necessary for the UK.
I don't know why countries outside of the EU like Turkey and Serbia still wish to join it.

Open markets, for starters.
I was fully agreeing with Gandalf on this matter until I saw Mikal's post about having to pay more fees than everybody else. This adds for... a good controversial topic. Any sources?

Also, just read your 2nd post, as far as I heard, Germany, on the contrary, wants to leave UK in EU as much as possible.

On the other hand, UK is greatly sustained by itself so I don't see problems with it. As much as you want to deny it, member states of the EU lost faith in it after fiascos with Greece and co, which are lowering them lower and lower to shit levels. It's only a matter of question until other will follow UK's exit of EU and it collapses, which may cause lots of economical difficulties because Euro might not be a Europe-wide currency anymore.

[Mikal]

Lithuanians dont want to be in EU either. They call EU another USSR, with a little bit more freedom.

The EU is NOTHING like the USSR..

Open markets, for starters.
I was fully agreeing with Gandalf on this matter until I saw Mikal's post about having to pay more fees than everybody else. This adds for... a good controversial topic. Any sources?

Also, just read your 2nd post, as far as I heard, Germany, on the contrary, wants to leave UK in EU as much as possible.

On the other hand, UK is greatly sustained by itself so I don't see problems with it. As much as you want to deny it, member states of the EU lost faith in it after fiascos with Greece and co, which are lowering them lower and lower to shit levels. It's only a matter of question until other will follow UK's exit of EU and it collapses, which may cause lots of economical difficulties because Euro might not be a Europe-wide currency anymore.

Actually the UK isnt as self sustainable as it used to be, much of Britains daily/basic products come from China, except for farming.. Farming is very British and will always be something done in Britain despite it's origins being Western Asia and Egypt, an American would argue that Britain gets all it's produce from America and that if America placed an embargo on Britain the UK would be fucked, which is not true, as someones been spreading round Argonath... As I said, Britain buys nothing of use from America, China is where all our plastic shit comes from, farming is done in the UK unless it's from France or Italy.

And back on topic, I did read that Germany wants the UK out of the EU, can't seem to find where now but heck knows.

[[WS]Jacob]

Any actual numbers to back this up?

We along with Germany, France, Italy and Spain have contributed half of the budget. After Germany we are the second country on net contribution.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8036097.stm#start

[Kirgiz]

Actually the UK isnt as self sustainable as it used to be, much of Britains daily/basic products come from China, except for farming.. Farming is very British and will always be something done in Britain despite it's origins being Western Asia and Egypt, an American would argue that Britain gets all it's produce from America and that if America placed an embargo on Britain the UK would be f**ked, which is not true, as someones been spreading round Argonath... As I said, Britain buys nothing of use from America, China is where all our plastic shit comes from, farming is done in the UK unless it's from France or Italy.

I was meaning that without EU UK will live through. They don't need EU to trade with China at all, so Britain can just pull a middle finger to all other member states because it can easily survive without the need of being in the union.

[Mikal]

I was meaning that without EU UK will live through. They don't need EU to trade with China at all, so Britain can just pull a middle finger to all other member states because it can easily survive without the need of being in the union.

The UK could survive without trade from anyone, it would just have to start producing what it bought from other countries such as China, wasnt trying to say the EU affects trade with China or anything like that, the UK would not want to give the middle finger to the other member states anyway, as they are all allies of the UK, not that it seems that the EU is helping the UK in anyway at the moment, but the EU has the potential to be the worlds richest and most powerful union on the planet, thats with all countrys that are part of the EU helping, without the UK the chance for it doesn't exist despite there being some rich and powerful countries in the EU.