The UK is now more in favour of leaving the EU than remaining a member, according to a new poll
The United Kingdom is now more in favour of leaving the European Union than remaining a member, according to a new poll.
In the first poll conducted since Prime Minister David Cameron outlined his demands for EU treaty change, there has been an increase in support for leaving the EU, to 53 per cent, against 47 per cent who want to remain.
Even when those who are undecided are included, however, the Out campaign has more support than the In campaign.
The poll of 2007 adults, carried out by Survation, is the first since November 2014 where support for leaving the EU has been so high, other than small polling leads for "leave" over "remain" in September this year, which came on the heels of a period of broad media coverage of this summer’s migrant crisis in Europe.
Only one of Cameron's reform demands are in line with the public's top priorities for renegotiation, that of welfare for new EU migrants. So, while it may be difficult for Cameron to convince other EU member states to his reform agenda, it may not be enough to convince the general public.
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And just 22 per cent of those polled believe Cameron is likely to achieve a good with the EU, while 23 per cent believe other EU leaders are taking Cameron seriously in his demands for renegotiation.
The poll came in the same week as a flurry of Conservative MPs rubbished Cameron’s agenda as not going far enough, including chair of the Treasury Select Committee Andrew Tyrie, Jacob Rees-Mogg and John Redwood.
However, earlier this week a poll for ICM found British support for remaining in the EU was at its strongest since the beginning of October.
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ICM's poll showed 46 per cent of people would vote to stay, while 38 per cent would vote to leave – the rest said "don't know".
The Prime Minister has promised the In/Out EU referendum before the end of 2017, after he has wrapped up lengthy negotiations, but some expect that the referendum could come as early as next year.
Cameron has also said he has not ruled out campaigning to leave the EU if he fails to get the reforms that he is pushing for.