Quelle surprise ... Britain is the least ‘European’ nation in the EU

Two-thirds of us say we’re purely British

BRITONS feel less European than the population of any other EU country, a major poll has found.

Almost two thirds of people in the UK say they do not feel any sense of European identity – a far higher proportion than in other countries.

In Germany, just 25 per cent of people said they felt ‘only German’ and not European, and 36 per cent of people in France feel ‘only French’.

But in Britain, 64 per cent said they felt ‘only British’, while just one in six people (15 per cent) said they would describe themselves as wholly European, according to the research published today.

The findings, from research agency NatCen Social Research, who interviewed 1,000 people in each country, could have dramatic implications for the referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU.

David Cameron has announced a vote will be held before the end of 2017, but could be as early as next year. The study suggests that those who are campaigning to keep Britain in the EU should concentrate on the economic and political benefits rather than a shared identity between EU countries.

But researchers also say the campaign to leave would be ‘unwise to pursue arguments along the lines of “We are British not European”,’ as many people who feel this way still want to stay in.

NatCen also found that half of British people who said they did not feel European still believe we should remain in the Union.

The percentage of British people saying they only identified with their own nationality – and not Europe – was the highest in the EU, with Cyprus and Greece in second and third place.

People who felt the strongest European identity were in Luxembourg, Germany and Malta.

The researchers said this clearly shows British people ‘do not appear to see ourselves as a nation of Europeans’ and that this is unlikely to change.

This ‘Eurobarometer’ survey has been carried out regularly for 20 years. The level of British people who felt European has dropped from 17 per cent in 1999 – which was the highest ever level.

The UK has therefore not followed the trend of countries such as Sweden and Denmark, which have seen the number of people identifying as European soar over the past two decades.

In Scotland, where the ruling Scottish Nationalists are firmly pro-EU, 23 per cent of those who identified as ‘Scottish not British’ said they also wanted to leave the European Union.

Rachel Ormston, who wrote the report, said: ‘Relatively few people in Britain feel European, and this has been the case ever since Britain joined the EU in 1973. But those who lack a European identity are divided in their views – just because we don’t feel European doesn’t necessarily mean we think we should leave the EU.’

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday said he believes ‘the EU is better with Britain in it, and Britain is better within the EU.’ Mr Juncker, who has clashed with Mr Cameron in the past, also urged the UK to see the benefits of ‘acting collectively’ to solve the migration crisis.

‘Divided in views about leaving EU’