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		Local MEP backs EU Referendum Demand Wednesday, 8th September 2010 Local MEP Roger Helmer has backed a national campaign, launched by his colleague Dan Hannan MEP (South East), calling for a national referendum on British membership of the EU. The EU Referendum Campaign (EURC) is a cross-party initiative calling for the public to have a say on whether Britain is governed from Westminster of Brussels. Helmer argues that the EU is making us poorer, and less democratic, and less free. He says that the EU is costing Britain up to £120 billion a year, including regulatory costs -- and this is set to rise as Brussels demands an end to the UK rebate. The MEP, who has backed the "Better Off Out" campaign for years, says: "In my experience people are fed up with the EU. The EU's own Eurobarometer survey shows only 42% of EU citizens believe that EU membership is good for them. It is preposterous that our government is discussing a referendum on PR, which no one much wants, instead of an EU referendum which all parties promised and which many people want passionately". The brand new EURC organisation has its base in Westminster and is made up of a team of experienced campaigners who want to highlight that the British people still haven’t had their promised referendum. Now is the time to act, they say, as the government seeks an electoral reform through a referendum in 2011 which could, according to the EURC, cost the country up to £80 million. Instead of such time-wasting exercises, efforts should instead be ploughed into providing a referendum for more important issues, such as who governs Britain. They argue that the longer Britain relinquishes power to Brussels, the more difficult it will be to walk away from the emerging super-state. They are calling for voters to sign the petition for a referendum, which can be found at www.eureferendumcampaign.com