Brits bedrijfsleven in meerderheid tegen EU-grondwet (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A new opinion poll to be published later on Monday (10 January) has shown that almost two-thirds of big business leaders in the UK are against the EU Constitution.

The survey - by independent polling company MORI - surveyed 105 leaders of Britain's top 500 companies and discovered that 23 percent were "strongly against" the Constitution, with 37 percent "generally against".

On the other hand, only eight percent of the business leaders polled said they were "strongly in favour" of the Constitution, with 32 percent saying they were "generally in favour".

Simon Wolfson, Chairman of Next plc - and opponent of the Constitution, said, according to a statement, "The EU already generates far too much harmful regulation. The Constitution would make things even worse, it is a licence to interfere in every aspect of our lives".

UK business is one of the most vocal critics of EU red tape and the UK finance minister Gordon Brown repeatedly criticises Brussels bureaucracy.

The fact that so many big business leaders are opposed to the Constitution is likely to make it even harder for UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to win a referendum on the issue, which is pencilled in for Spring 2006.

Public opinion in the UK is also generally hostile to the Constitution.