In the run-up to the European elections next month, French news giant France 24 embarked on a European tour to gauge electoral opinions across the continent. One young Dane, who claimed he spoke for many others, used the opportunity to tear into the EU, labelling it “distant” and “concealed”. Niels, 25, a student councillor from the Danish town of Sonderborg, explained: “The EU is, for a lot of Danes including me, distant.
“I think a lot of Danes experience this.
“It’s like a concealed operation – we don’t really know what’s going on.
“There’s no transparency.
“I guess we understand the core values behind it but I don’t understand how the EU operates, really.”
He went on to say that Brexit would be a major feature of the upcoming elections for him, adding that it had “challenged the authority of the EU.”
That challenge has been bolstered by the rocketing polling figures of Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party, which is leading the percentage of the UK vote in the European elections, according to the latest Opinium poll.
Mrs May’s Conservatives have dropped down to a measly third place behind Labour.
The latest poll shows that support for the Conservatives has fallen by three percent, while the Brexit Party’s has gone up by 16 percent since the study was last conducted on the day of its launch two weeks ago.
Elsewhere support for Labour has dropped by one point, while support for Mr Farage’s old party, UKIP, has plummeted by 10 percent, meaning they are expected to take just three percent of the vote, as opposed to Farage’s 28 percent.
The Government looks set to delay the next Queen’s Speech as the impasse over Brexit continues.
With cross-party talks on the EU Withdrawal Agreement showing little sign of progress, Theresa May’s spokesman indicated that the parliamentary session could be extended until the Commons has ratified a Brexit deal.
This would mean the parliamentary set-piece outlining the Government’s legislative agenda being postponed from the expected date in June to as late as the autumn.
Meanwhile, Government hopes of avoiding elections to the European Parliament on May 23 appear to have evaporated, with the bill to ratify a Brexit deal no longer expected to be put before Parliament this week.
Mrs May’s effective deputy David Lidington and Chancellor Philip Hammond led the Government side in talks in Whitehall with a Labour team including shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor John McDonnell.