MOSCOW, November 3 (RIA Novosti) — A poll conducted last week by internet-based market research firm YouGov found that 44 percent of Britons would favor leaving the European Union, significantly outnumbering the 35 percent that favor staying put, the polling firm’s website notes.
Five percent of those surveyed noted that they wouldn’t know how to vote, and four percent said they wouldn’t bother voting.
Those surveyed in Scotland were more likely to stick with the EU, with 47 percent saying they would vote to remain in the union, compared to figures ranging from 31 percent in the Midlands and Wales to 40 percent in London.
Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has commented on the results, noting that Scotland needs assurance from the British government that an exit from the European Union would require the consent of “all constituent nations of the UK,” and not be determined by a simple majority vote, according to the Herald Scotland.
Sturgeon noted that the threat of a successful bid to exit the EU might force Scotland to hold another referendum, saying that for Scotland, exit from the EU “would be disastrous for our economic interests.”
In January 2013, British Prime Minister David Cameron proposed an “in/out” referendum for the UK with regard to the EU, proposing that it be held in 2017, after a period during which a better deal would be sought out for the country within the supranational organization. The referendum might proceed if Cameron’s Conservative Party wins an outright majority in the next general election, which is expected to be held next year. The Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats are against the idea of guaranteeing such a referendum so far in advance.
The YouGov poll surveyed 2,052 adults across Great Britain between October 27-28. The complete poll results can be found here.
