Instead, a spokesman for the relevant British arts agency (sounding a bit like he was just coming out of a pub himself, and in a mood to take a flyer) promised to increase lottery funding for film by 60 percent by 2014.

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Fellow Conservative Richard Ottaway, who is chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said the comments were a "bit unexpected" and "the mood of the nation" was in favour of holding a referendum at some point in the future.

BBC: UK risks 'turning inwards' over EU referendum - US official