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MEPs hail Swedish no to euro

Monday 15 September 2003

East Midlands Conservative MEPs Roger Helmer and Chris Heaton Harris today hailed the No vote in the Swedish referendum as a victory for common sense.

The Swedish No Campaign had enjoyed a double-digit lead in the opinion polls for many months before Sunday's vote. Some polls showed a No lead of up to twenty percent. However the tragic murder last week of pro-euro campaigner Anna Lindh, the charismatic Swedish Foreign Minister, resulted in a huge sympathy vote for the murdered campaigner, giving a boost to the Yes Campaign. Commentators on Sunday were predicting a result too close to call.

But in the event the No side triumphed winning 56.1% of the vote.

Speaking in Brussels today, East Midlands MEP Roger Helmer said:

"I am delighted that the Swedish people kept their nerve, despite the dreadful trauma of Anna Lindh's tragic assassination, and made the right decision for prosperity and independence.

The No vote won by a clear 14% margin on the day. So large that even Prodi himself has accepted it as a vote of no confidence in not only the euro, but the European project itself. This is a case of ordinary people fighting back against the political elite and the Brussels machine."


Conservative MEP, Chris Heaton-Harris added:

"It will now be much more difficult for Tony Blair to fulfil his ambition and take Britain into the euro. The euro is a vastly dangerous economic gamble that is failing before our eyes."