EU Constitution vote could cost £80 million
A referendum on the European Constitution could cost £80 million to administer, the Government has revealed.
Constitutional Affairs Minister, Chris Leslie, in a written parliamentary answer to a question from Labour MP for Hornchurch, John Cryer, said the poll would cost roughly the same as a general election.
The 2001 general election cost £80 million.
The Government has yet to set a date for a vote on the treaty, but it is unlikely to be held until early 2006 after the next general election, which is expected in May this year.
Mr Cryer had previously submitted a number of other questions on the proposed referendum – including asking the Prime Minister what discussions he had had with the Electoral Commission. The answer to this was “none”.
He has also asked whether the Government intend to distribute a copy of the proposed constitution to all households and whether a regulatory assessment study would be done if the new constitution was introduced.
The last British referendum was held three decades years ago when Britons backed membership of the common market.
The Foreign Office has a current budget of £613,000 to inform the public about the EU, including the proposed treaty.
