EDELMAN ELECTION UPDATE
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OVERVIEW We are less than two weeks away from the General Election, and the Scottish National Party – a party that, when Parliament dissolved, held just six out of 650 seats in the House of Commons – is continuing to dominate the debate between the Conservatives and Labour.
View from Edelman USA and Europe
We have seen the marginal parties – including UKIP and the Greens – continue to steal the headlines and the spotlight remains on speculation about possible coalition partners, not least the threat to the future of the Union should the election result in a Labour Government reliant in some form on the SNP. We have seen less of an attempt to address the concerns of the business community regarding the UK’s standing in Europe. Neither major party wants to raise the issue – Labour because they recognise that the voters in their target seats are predominantly Eurosceptic; the Conservatives for fear of fighting on UKIP’s territory. They may not want to talk about it, but the issue isn’t going away – and can only increase in importance in the next Parliament as pressure grows on the parties to deliver reform. Click the link to the right to view the latest Edelman Election wrap-up.
Siobhan Hill
THE EUROPEAN VIEW - Britain’s Membership of the EU Brussels “People shouldn’t stay together if the conditions aren’t the same as when things started. It’s easy to fall in love and more difficult to stay together ... I am against all forms of grovelling.” EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
Paris “Europe existed before Britain joined it … I hope Britain stays in the EU but I don’t want to decide for the British.” President Francois Hollande
Berlin “I very much like having the UK in the EU … where there is a will, there is a way to find common solutions.” Chancellor Angela Merkel
Rome “A Europe without the UK would not simply be a less rich Europe – it would be less Europe, less itself.” Prime Minister Matteo Renzi
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