Clegg claims majority of Britons back him

Liberal Democrat Leader, Nicholas Clegg, has today defended his Party's position over a European Referendum by publishing the results of an opinion poll that the Lib Dems had commissioned MORI to undertake. The poll shows that of over 1,000 people asked a majority of 2:1 backed a referendum on Britain's future in the EU which is the stance taken by the Lib Dems compared to the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which has been demanded by I Want a Referendum, the Tories and some Lib Dem and Labour rebels.

Mr. Clegg will be relieved by the findings of the poll following a media attack previously on these proposals and the walk out staged by Lib Dems following Ed Davey MP being ordered out of the Commons due to the refusal of the Speaker to allow a Lib Dem amendment to the EU Reform Treaty calling for a vote.

This poll comes a day after the rival I Want a Referendum campaign announced that 88%of voters wanted a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty according to their private polls which have taken place in Lib Dem and Labour marginals due to those respective parties stance on the Reform Treaty.

Nick Clegg welcomed the MORI poll results and called on David Cameron to support his party saying "It`s still not too late for him to change his mind and support us in giving the public the real choice on Europe that they want." He also commented that he believed a referenum on Britain's place on Europe would "defeat the Eurosceptics for a generation and that he would "relish the chance to lead the Liberal Democrats at the forefront of that campaign."

However, despite Mr. Clegg's overtures to the Conservatives and the results of this poll, the referendum he seeks is unlikely to happen and he will have to focus on limiting any damage his stance may cause in Lib/Con marginals and to stop his party splitting on the issue. That challenge may be greater than any he has faced in political career to date, but these results can only boost him in his efforts.

-Adam Evans, Chief Political Correspondent