03/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - Secretary for the Foreign Office Jack Straw admitted on Thursday to the press that the withdrawal from the European Union (demanded by the UK Independence Party, which is rising in opinion polls) would be an "absolute disaster" for the United Kingdom. Andrew Duff MEP once again attacked the Conservatives for the "catalogue of complaints about the current terms of membership" of the United Kingdom in the European Union. According to the British Liberal Democrat, it is clear that the presence of the Tories in the "federalist" group of the EPP at the European Parliament is "completely untenable". Duff warned that "many pro-European Tory voters tell us they are thinking of switching to the Lib Dems".