A new poll shows people in Britain want greater European co-operation when it comes to tackling the key political challenges of the day.

The YouGov survey, conducted for a forthcoming Fabian Society and Foundation for European Progressive Studies pamphlet, shows that a decade of debates centred on institutional wrangling – combined with recent financial and political turmoil across Europe – has hardened general attitudes against the European Union.  But across all categories – class, gender, age, political affiliation – there is significant support for closer ties on specific policy measures.

Although 45 per cent say Britain's membership of the European Union is “a bad thing for Britain”, 55 per cent say EU countries should co-operate more closely to tackle climate change and 71 per cent want closer co-operation on fighting terrorism and international crime.

As the Observer reports, “even on core economic policy – the area in which successive UK governments have tried to prevent national sovereignty being transferred to Brussels – more people take the view that EU member states should work together than believe they should not. About 45 per cent said the EU's 27 member countries should do more collectively to help recover from the recession and solve the financial crisis, against 30 per cent who believed they should do less.”

This highlights a bedrock of popular support for pro-Europeans to build on – if the EU can prove itself to be practically useful in specific areas and relevant to people’s lives.

To read a summary of the polling, go to Next Left. The pamphlet, edited by Sunder Katwala and Ernst Stetter, and featuring contributions from Roger Liddle, Alfred Gusenbauer and Jessica Asato amongst others, will be launched later in the month.

Read more about the pamphlet.