Euroscepticism in the UK
Article
From the vociferousness of the debate in the UK press in recent weeks, one could be excused for thinking that Europe was dominating discussions around the country, as indeed it has done at various points over the last two decades.
But Ipsos-MORI's most recent Issues Index recorded only 1 per cent of respondents indicating the common market, EU, Europe and the euro as the most important issue facing Britain today. Taken together, recent survey evidence suggests that while voters clearly lack knowledge of and support for the EU as an institution, they still recognise the case for a supranational body at the European level covering a wide range of issues.
These findings do not dismiss the strongly held views of many Brits in relation to Europe nor the need for institutional reform, but it does suggest that the nature of euroscepticism in the UK may be more nuanced that the current media debate implies.
Related items
Facing the future: Progressives in a changing world
Progressive parties need a new set of defining and guiding ideas to challenge the populist radical right.Singapore on the Clyde?
Sir Tom Hunter is not happy.Scotland, he laments, is in “managed decline”. The UK and Scottish governments are “punishing the entrepreneurial community with more tax” and, inevitably, “no country has ever taxed its way to growth”. Change…Fixing the foundations: The case for investing in children's health
For decades, governments of all stripes have promised to give children a better, healthier start to life. But despite this – and some notable policy successes – the UK continues to fall short on childhood health outcomes.