BRITAIN:CAMPAIGNERS IN Britain for a referendum on the European Union's Lisbon Treaty yesterday
claimed they had overwhelming public support as MPs prepared for this week's key Commons vote.
The I Want a Referendum campaign released the results of its own referendum across 10 marginal Labour and Lib Dem constituencies, showing 88 per cent backing for putting the treaty to a public vote.
The government dismissed the exercise as a "gimmick", saying most supporters of the treaty had simply ignored the referendum.
Labour rebel Kate Hoey, however, predicted "a lot" of Labour and Lib Dem MPs would be prepared to defy their party leaderships and vote for a referendum in the Commons on Wednesday.
The I Want a Referendum campaign said that it sent out 420,791 ballot papers based on the latest publicly available electoral roll.
A total of 152,520 - 36 per cent - were returned, of which 133.251 were in favour of a referendum.
The constituencies covered included those of Europe minister Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire), home secretary Jacqui Smith (Redditch), transport secretary Ruth Kelly (Bolton West) and Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne (Eastleigh).
Campaign chairman Derek Scott - a former economic adviser to Tony Blair - said it was a "magnificent turnout" and that Labour and the Lib Dems should now honour their election manifesto promises to hold a referendum.