I want a referendum, South East

EASTLEIGH VOTERS DEMAND NATIONAL REFERENDUM ON REVIVED EU CONSTITUTION

I Want a Referendum has announced the results of the EU referendum held in Eastleigh and nine other constituencies across the country. The referendums have been carried out for IWR by Electoral Reform Services – a leading firm of independent election scrutineers recognised by the United Nations, the British Government, and used by all the three main parties for their internal elections.

The referendums have led to an unprecedented response from voters for an unofficial poll. Postal ballots were sent to more than 53,000 people in the Eastleigh constituency. 38% of ballot papers distributed were returned.

Key results:

Stunningly, 152,520 people voted across just ten parliamentary constituencies. 133,251 voted for a referendum.

The turnout in Eastleigh was higher than the average for the ten referendums being held across the country. Some 20,361 people voted in Eastleigh, of whom 18,370 are in favour of a referendum.

Even though the poll was unofficial, the turnout across the country was 36.2%. This means that a higher proportion of people voted in these unofficial referendums than in real elections in their local area. The average turnout for local elections (when not held with general elections) since 1996 is 35.4%. The average turnout in referendums on directly elected mayors - including in London - was 30.1%.

In Eastleigh 38.3% of voters who were sent ballot papers responded. The last set of local by-elections (Bursledon and Fair Oak in 2004) in Eastleigh had an average turnout of only 6.9%.

In Eastleigh, a greater proportion of people voted for a referendum than voted for sitting MP Chris Huhne at the last election. 34.5% of those balloted in Eastleigh voted for a referendum, while Chris Huhne won 25.4% of the vote.

Eastleigh's voters resoundingly rejected the EU's Lisbon Treaty. 18,462 people voted against it – 90.7% of the electorate.

The giant ballot box is inflated in Eastleigh.

SUPPORTERS

IWR currently has 8560 supporters in the South East.

IWR, SOUTH EAST IN THE NEWS

Below is a selection of media coverage in the South East:

"Eastleigh residents vote for referendum" Southern Daily Echo 3 March

"Call for EU referendum" Kent Online 22 February

"Don't miss your chance to vote on Lisbon Treaty" Southern Daily Echo 22 February

"Chris Huhne calls for boycott of EU ‘referendum’" Southern Daily Echo 17 February