eu constitution - deep distrust
WORKERS, NOV 2004 ISSUE
A recent ICM opinion poll finds that 59% of voters oppose the EU Constitution, with only 28% in favour. The most strongly opposed age-group is the 18-25 year-olds, who oppose it by 62% to 27%. The majority of the supporters of all the parliamentary parties oppose it: 57% of Labour supporters are against, with 31% in favour. Even 54% of Liberal Democrat supporters are against, with just 34% in favour.
The poll also shows that we do not trust pro-Constitution politicians. Taking the balance of those who trust these politicians minus those who would not trust them, the poll finds that Tony Blair, Neil Kinnock, Chris Patten and Peter Mandelson all have negative trust ratings. 45% of voters agree with the statement: "Tony Blair mostly lies about Europe" - 41% disagree. And 51% of young voters agree that Tony Blair "mostly lies", as against 39% who disagree.
Kinnock and Patten, who have both joined the Britain in Europe campaign recently, have negative trust ratings of minus 1% and minus 2%. Peter Mandelson, the recently unelected EU Commissioner, scores a remarkable minus 49%. Even among Labour voters, Mandelson's net trust rating is minus 30%.