Greater Manchester voters asked about EU referendum

Voters in three Greater Manchester constituencies are to be polled over whether they want a national referendum on UK membership of the European Union.

The People's Pledge postal ballots will be held in Manchester Withington, Cheadle and Hazel Grove.

The votes, which follow a similar exercise in Thurrock, Essex, will close on 19 July.

People's Pledge director Ian McKenzie said voters had the chance to "quicken" the pace towards a national referendum.

People's Pledge, which is led by both pro and anti-EU MPs, is planning more than 100 separate votes, to be conducted by Electoral Reform Services, across the country by 2013.

Their aim is to force a national referendum on the UK's membership.

Voters in the constituencies will be asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement that "there should be a national referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union".

All three Greater Manchester votes are to be held in seats occupied by Liberal Democrat MPs - John Leech in Manchester Withington, Mark Hunter in Cheadle and Andrew Stunell in Hazel Grove.

Sixty-eight MPs have signed up to back the referendum campaign, which will be launched in Cheadle by Labour's Graham Stringer and Conservative David Nuttall.

Almost 90% of voters who took part in the Thurrock poll in April backed the call to stage a referendum.