Shropshire Star

Election poll: How important is the question of a referendum on EU membership?

After Tony Blair's warning of economic chaos if a Tory victory leads to an in/out referendum on Britain's EU membership, we want to know how vital the issue is to Shropshire Star readers.

Published

The former prime minister voiced his "100%" support for Ed Miliband as he warned that exit from Europe would "leave Britain diminished in the world" and even the prospect of a public vote in 2017 would create "significant business uncertainty".

In a high-profile speech in Newton Ayliffe, during a visit with wife Cherie to his former Sedgefield constituency, Mr Blair said: "I believe passionately that leaving Europe would leave Britain diminished in the world, do significant damage to our economy and, less obviously but just as important to our future, would go against the very qualities that mark us out still as a great global nation."

He said he did not believe Mr Cameron even wanted to quit the EU, but said the PM had offered a renegotiation of UK membership, followed by a public vote, as "a concession to party, a manoeuvre to access some of the Ukip vote, a sop to the rampant anti-Europe feeling of parts of the media".

If the Tories won on May 7, Europe would be a "distraction" from the work of government for a number of years, and would cost Mr Cameron "more energy ...more sleepless nights" than any other issue, he warned.

"The Tory campaign talks of chaos should Labour win," said Mr Blair. "Think of the chaos produced by the possibility, never mind the reality, of Britain quitting Europe. Jobs that are secure suddenly insecure; investment decisions postponed or cancelled; a pall of unpredictability hanging over the British economy.

  • Keep up with all the Shropshire and Mid Wales election news at www.shropshirestar.com/election

"And for what? To satisfy the insistent Euro-phobia of a group who will never be satisfied."

The former PM denounced the "mean-spiritedness" of the nationalism espoused by Ukip, and said: "We know what this movement to wrench us out of Europe is based on. You can see it whenever (Nigel) Farage swiftly moves the debate to immigrants."

But David Cameron said Mr Blair was "wrong" and accused him of not trusting the British people.

He said: "I want changes in Europe but then, unlike Tony Blair, I will trust the people in an in-out referendum.

"You cannot ignore the will of the people as Tony Blair thinks we should - and it is not just him, it is Ed Miliband."

  • Follow the election campaign six days a week in the Shropshire Star newspaper, round the clock on at shropshirestar.com/election where we will carry breaking news and by signing up to our email newsletter.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.