74 per cent do not want restrictions put on the free movement of labour within the EU.
Three quarters do not want restrictions put on the free movement of labour within the EU
In recent weeks, and on the back of UKIP’s victory in the European elections, there have been voices on the left calling for a tougher approach to immigration.
At the end of May seven Labour MPs wrote to Ed Miliband calling on him to curb free movement within the European Union.
There have also, however, been a number of unapologetic defences of free movement.
Former prime minister Tony Blair wasted no time in putting his cards on the table, calling on Ed Miliband to take on UKIP or else risk confusing Labour’s core supporters.
And a poll of Left Foot Forward readers finds that most are with Blair on this one: 74 per cent do not want restrictions put on the free movement of labour within the EU, compared to just 23 per cent who do.
2 per cent of respondents said they were unsure.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, LFF readers are more liberal than the public at large. When asked recently what they thought of EU citizens having the right to live and work in other member states, 33 per cent of the public thought it was a good thing compared to 55 per cent who thought it a bad thing.
So in sum, most of us on the left still appear to believe in the principle of free movement. I’m not so sure everyone on the left will necessarily feel happy about finding themselves in the same political boat as Tony Blair though.
317 people took part in the survey between 2 and 4 June
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7 Responses to “Left Foot Forward readers overwhelmingly back free movement”
Dave Roberts
Well, that’s the left for you.
Sparky
It amuses me that when you quote opinion polls you disagree with, it’s ‘populism’ whipped up by the ‘right wing press’ which ‘mustn’t be pandered to’. And yet, you love to quote your own polls, of statistically insignificant sample sizes on a website frequented by partisan supporters. Laughable.
Leon Wolfeson
Yea, how dare we not support barriers for movement for the 99%, and don’t hate trade. Oh well!
The Conversative
And the right… some elements of the right have long supported the free movement of peoples.
Lucy Sky Diamonds
Sadly you are a minority.