More American than European

British men feel culturally closer to their American cousins than to their European neighbours, according to a new survey. More than three- quarters of British men object to Brussels interfering in Britain's domestic affairs, and eight out of ten want a referendum on Europe.

In all, 62 per cent of British men aged between 18 and 30 believe the European Commission in Brussels has caused more problems that it has solved, according to a survey commissioned by the brewers Whitbread.

Fewer than one in ten men was able to name the President of the European Commission, Jacques Santer, while 25 per cent of East Anglian men thought that John Major was the last head of the commission. But just over half of those questioned wanted a single European currency.

The survey also highlighted a series of regional variations in lifestyles. Men from the Midlands were less likely to drink wine than those anywhere else, while those in Wales were more likely to drink beer than men elsewhere.

The research was carried out by Scantel Research in March 1997 among 500 men.