The gulf between public opinion and Westminster opinion on Europe

It’s Europe Day today, where the flag of the EU will be flown by 26 of its 27 member states. David Cameron is refusing to join in* — and rightly. Why celebrate an institution to which the British public is hostile? I’ve always found it strange that Euroscepticism is caricatured as a fringe, minority position when the polling evidence is so overwhelming.

The European Commission anxiously monitors this, conducting identical polling in all member states — the largest poll in the world. The results are never publicised in Britain because they make clear the depth of public hostility. We have dug a few out, from the Eurobarometer data archives, and print them below.

What most jumps out at me is that only 29 per cent of us think EU membership is “a good thing” — and yet 100 per cent of Westminster parties regard it as a good thing. Whatever you may think about Europe, there is a measurable gulf here between the views of the people and the MPs.

* Vince Cable will be flying the flag — and so will Eric Pickles, because he’ll be fined if he doesn’t. As James revealed yesterday, someone will be paid to come around later today and take a picture of Pickles’ flag and send it to the EU compliance unit. Hardly what we signed up to in 1975.