Recently a commenter asked what choices were available for those who didn’t want to vote for a very right wing party but had doubts about the EU. Euroscepticism is generally associated with the right, but of course significant elements of the left have also opposed closer ties with Europe.
Many who would place themselves somewhere on the ‘usable middle’ ground of the political spectrum may tend to support Europe partly because opposition seems so tangled up with extreme and unwelcome views. It’s not really an issue which inspires instinctive or passionate responses, so it’s easier to go along with what seems to be the consensus (or the bien pensant consensus, I should perhaps say, as in fact most people in the UK want to leave the EU).
According to the Guardian, Ed Miliband is considering making an election pledge to hold a referendum on this issue. Given that he is presumably extremely supportive of continued EU membership this seems a very high risk strategy.
