How would you vote in a Yes/No Referendum?

6.40.10pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 16th Sep 2007

Andrew Houseley is asking the people of the East of England how they would vote in a referendum on Britain's continued membership of the European Union.

Responding to Liberal Democrats Leader Sir Menzies Campbell's call for such a vote, Andrew said: "The question is not the foregone conclusion it might at first sound.

How many people in reality, hand on heart, would be prepared to sacrifice the prosperity, peace and security that they might consider the EU has delivered, by going it alone? How many feel they can afford to ignore the threats we face on cross border security, crime, terrorism and climate change - threats that can only be dealt with by acting together as a community of nations?

I want to open up debate among ordinary people in the East of England, people who want a secure prosperous future for themselves and their families.

I do wonder how many Conservatives would vote on this question, and whether what they say in a public debate would be different from how they would vote in the privacy of the polling booth! Would they really have anything to contribute to the national debate that would precede a referendum.

However I still maintain that the 2009 European Elections offer the best forum to decide on our future and Europe's future, when all aspects of European integration and the threats and opportunities open to all of us can be considered carefully."