Single currency poll holds out hope for Major
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.John Major's strategy of leaving open the issue of a single currency has been vindicated by confidential new poll findings which show that voters are in two minds about European monetary union.
The research shows that while 71 per cent would vote against joining monetary union in a referendum now, 69 per cent would consider the possibility of joining later if the issue were left open.
The poll will bring some comfort to the Tory high command in the wake of last night's election heavy losses in the local elections. It shows a large majority of electors want to retain the possibility of joining a single currency sometime in the future.
The unpublished poll for the European Commission shows that 71 per cent would vote against joining monetary union in a referendum - a markedly higher figure than the 58 per cent recorded in a MORI poll for the Sun earlier this week.
The findings, which are now circulating in Whitehall, help to explain the confidence with which John Major said on Monday that a referendum would vote against a single currency if it were held today.
But pro-Europeans will take considerably more comfort from the surprise finding that a heavy majority of more than two thirds answer "yes" to the question of whether a "decision should be left open with the possibility of joining later"
The finding that 69 per cent of electors - compared with 56 per cent last June - want the option kept open will be seen as suuggesting that a referendum on a government proposal to join a single currency could still be winnable - particularly if the decision was taken to join as part of a "second wave" once monetary union has already been in operation for a period.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments