UK may hold EU referendum

UK leader Tony Blair is considering a snap referendum to decide “if Britain is in or out of Europe”, according to press reports.

The high circulation British Sun newspaper, which prides itself on accurate predictions of poll dates, suggests the vote will take place this autumn or at the UK’s next general election.

The UK’s influential foreign minister, Jack Straw, is named by the tabloid as a prominent proponent of a referendum.

Government ministers support the move as a means of taking the battle to a eurosceptic British opposition at a time when Blair is feeling the heat on a range of issues from the Iraq war to immigration and a future EU constitution.

“Tony knows [Europe] is an election issue, whatever he does,” a ‘top source’ told the paper.

“If we hold a referendum, it will call [the opposition’s] bluff because they have no alternative policy except to pull out.”

Blair has to date delayed a referendum on UK membership of the euro and beaten off calls for a poll on a European constitution.

Nevertheless, the Sun predicts the UK government will use the referendum as a "plot to 'scare' us into Europe" with dire predictions of life outside the EU.

But argues the newspaper - which claims its support for either the government or opposition has swung at least two UK elections - the strategy may be high risk one for Blair.

"If people now distrust their own elected prime minister, why should they trust him to hand our country over to a bunch of unelected, unaccountable and corrupt politicians and officials in Brussels?" asks the Sun editorial.

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