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“Victory in bid to quit EU,” headlines the Daily Express, celebrating what it terms a “huge victory” in its crusade to pull Britain out of the union. According to the fiercely Eurosceptic daily, Tory MPs gathered at the ongoing Conservative party conference have “agreed to hold an historic debate on the issue.” This means that “Parliament will vote on whether there should be a referendum on Britain’s continued membership”. The Express notes that according to a recent Yougov poll “a majority of voters (51 per cent) would vote Yes to Britain cutting ties with Brussels for good.” But on closer inspection the actual poll reveals that 47 per cent agree to the proposition “I would vote for Britain to leave the European Union.”
On October 2, however, British PM David Cameron rejected calls for an “in/out” referendum on EU membership. Cameron indicated a Commons vote would not affect his government's policy – “a referendum would only be held if Britain signed a new treaty which transferred more British sovereignty to the EU.” In blunt terms, the PM said, “I don't want Britain to leave the European Union.” However, the Express argues that the “groundswell” of Tories for a split with the EU is “a stark message” for Mr Cameron.
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