MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Majority of Britons against EU Constitution.

Almost half the British population is against the new European Union charter and Primer Minister Tony Blair's decision to sign the constitution, according to opinion polls published this Sunday in the Sunday Times.

The YouGov public opinion poll with 1,300 interviews shows that 49% disagree with PM Blair's decision to sign the European constitution and only 23% approve.

Another opinion poll also published by the Sunday Times but commissioned to ICM, shows that 57% of Britons said no to the EU constitution and 28% support it.

This last opinion poll indicated that a majority of the British population do not believe Mr. Blair's assurances that he would defend fiscal, migration and defence issues during the discussions for the new EU Constitution.

A majority of British public opinion, 64%, said that British sovereignty would be "yielding" to Brussels if London agrees to sign the document.

Mr. Blair last Friday announced Great Britain approved the new constitution underlining it contemplated "British interests".

Referring to the Sunday Times poll Mr. Blair said there were many misconceptions.

The UK deal with the EU contemplates British veto for foreign policy, defence and taxation; new voting system weighs fears of middle-sized members Poland and Spain; EU will have a president instead of a six-months rotating presidency, and a Foreign Affairs Minister.

From the polls it can be said that a majority of Britons believed that the UK would no longer be able to have its own asylum policy; that EU could control tax rates; that UK would have to change its laws on trade unions and strikes. Many wrongly believed the British passport would be replaces by a European one.

However voters did indicate that they would support the constitution, 41% to 35% if concerns on these and other issues were included.