SCOTS are more likely than their counterparts in England and Wales to vote to remain in the EU, according to a new poll.
The polling of 20,000 people by Lord Ashcroft found that 54 per cent of Scots would vote to remain in the EU, meanwhile all of England’s counties, Wales and North Ireland would vote to leave.
Ashcroft’s polling results came ahead of an EU summit where David Cameron must win key reforms if he is to convince his Eurosceptic and wavering colleagues to join him in campaigning for a yes vote in the referendum on the UK’s membership of the union.
The key reform for Cameron is his proposals to stop migrants from other EU countries having access to in work benefits until they have been in the country four years.
It looks likely that Cameron will not succeed in convincing the other European leaders to back that plan.
Germany’s Angela Merkel said: “There can be no limits to fundamental liberties and principles.” France’s François Hollande said that Cameron’s proposals breached EU law.
There are three other key areas for Cameron: greater protections for non-euro countries, an exclusion for Britain from the “ever closer union” goal in the EU’s treaties, and greater economic competitiveness.
It looks likely there will be movement on these areas to make it look like Cameron is “winning”. One EU source told reporters:“There’s a certain orchestration to make sure that tonight things work out well for David Cameron, to make it look as if he is winning.”
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