Fifty-two per cent of people (in Britain) say they back an EU constitution, up three points from the previous poll, with 9 per cent against the idea and 39 per cent of people saying they don't know.

The survey also shows that Britons are less concerned about keeping national vetoes than almost any other EU nation. Four out of 10 say they must be retained to preserve essential national interests - with only the Spanish registering a lower figure.

One in five Britons believes the veto should be "limited to a very few essential areas", while 12 per cent say they should be given up "for all decisions in order to make the EU more efficient".

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