EU treaty should be dropped, say British voters

By James Kirkup and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Last Updated: 6:52PM BST 17/06/2008

British voters want Gordon Brown to scrap moves to ratify the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty, a new poll has disclosed.
The study piles fresh pressure on the Prime Minister to abandon the treaty in the wake of Ireland’s rejection of it in a referendum last week.

According to a YouGov poll carried out after the Irish result was announced on Friday, 54 per cent of British voters now believe the Government should drop the Lisbon Treaty - which would sweep away dozens of national vetoes - and not try to ratify it.

Only 14 per cent of those questioned agreed that the Government should carry on and ratify the controversial agreement, which would also create a new European president and foreign minister.

The poll was commissioned by Open Europe, a eurosceptic think-tank.

Neil O’Brien of Open Europe said: “Pressing ahead as if nothing has happened looks all wrong. Most of his own voters think that Gordon Brown should now drop the Lisbon Treaty and not try to ratify it.â€