Most people – including UKIP supporters – don’t know when the elections to the European Parliament are, or what their local MEPs are called
Next month’s election to the European Parliament could make history. In no national election have the Conservatives come third; and nor has one been won by any party other than Labour or the Conservatives since before the First World War.
UKIP, of course, may change all this. But for such a momentous event in British history a new YouGov survey for the Sun shows there is remarkably little public engagement.
Only 16% can correctly name the date of the next elections to the European Parliament, the 22nd May. 68% don’t know and 16% choose the wrong date.
At the beginning of April, UKIP supporters were at least 20% more likely than other voters to say they definitely will vote (68%) in the election. 61% of them do not know when it is, however, while 18% pick the wrong date and 21% get it right.
Just 7% know how many MEPs the UK currently elects to the European Parliament (73). 77% are unsure and 16% choose wrongly.
20% correctly answer ‘28’ to how many countries are EU members, while 47% don’t know and 33% answer incorrectly.
People are more knowledgeable about the inception of the EU however. 45% know that the UK joined the EU (then the EEC) in the 1970s. But still, slightly more (55%) either don’t know (29%) or get the wrong answer (26%)
Additionally, the survey finds that a huge 93% majority cannot name any of the MEPs for their own region. The figure is the same for UKIP supporters.
