Prime Minister David Cameron denied Thursday that a Dutch referendum rejecting a key EU pact with Ukraine would boost the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, insisting it was a "very different issue".
"I hope it won't affect the results of our referendum because it is a very different issue," the Conservative leader said while campaigning for the June 23 referendum on whether Britain should stay in or leave the bloc.
The Dutch referendum on Wednesday, in which voters rejected the EU's association agreement with Ukraine, is seen as a barometer of anti-EU feeling and was swiftly hailed by eurosceptic groups.
"It is important that the European institutions and the Dutch government listen carefully to what people are saying, to try and understand that and to try and work with that," Cameron said.
But he added: "I don't think it has any effect on us because we have a bigger question."
Nigel Farage, the leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP), hailed the Dutch vote as a "tremendous victory for democracy".
Farage said Dutch campaigners could come to Britain to help in the "Leave" campaign.
"I look forward to working with them," he said.
Brian Monteith, a spokesman for the Leave.EU campaign group, added: "This result gives the British people the signal that it is moderate and normal to reject the EU and stand up for what's in our country's best interests."
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, another pro-Brexit campaign group, also welcomed the result.
"Time and again, voters are choosing to reject Brussels whenever they are consulted about the EU," he said.
Prime Minister David Cameron denied Thursday that a Dutch referendum rejecting a key EU pact with Ukraine would boost the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, insisting it was a “very different issue”.
“I hope it won’t affect the results of our referendum because it is a very different issue,” the Conservative leader said while campaigning for the June 23 referendum on whether Britain should stay in or leave the bloc.
The Dutch referendum on Wednesday, in which voters rejected the EU’s association agreement with Ukraine, is seen as a barometer of anti-EU feeling and was swiftly hailed by eurosceptic groups.
“It is important that the European institutions and the Dutch government listen carefully to what people are saying, to try and understand that and to try and work with that,” Cameron said.
But he added: “I don’t think it has any effect on us because we have a bigger question.”
Nigel Farage, the leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP), hailed the Dutch vote as a “tremendous victory for democracy”.
Farage said Dutch campaigners could come to Britain to help in the “Leave” campaign.
“I look forward to working with them,” he said.
Brian Monteith, a spokesman for the Leave.EU campaign group, added: “This result gives the British people the signal that it is moderate and normal to reject the EU and stand up for what’s in our country’s best interests.”
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, another pro-Brexit campaign group, also welcomed the result.
“Time and again, voters are choosing to reject Brussels whenever they are consulted about the EU,” he said.
