An early referendum on Britain's entry into the European single currency is preferred by the majority of Labour backbenchers, a poll revealed on Tuesday.

Of the 100 MPs responding to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme survey, 34 wanted a vote by autumn 2002, compared with 13 by early next year, eight by Autumn 2003 and 22 by the next general election. Only 16 MPs did not want the referendum during this parliament.

Responding to the findings, former chair of the parliamentary Labour party and MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush Clive Soley said: "I think most people would like to get on with the referendum and do it sooner rather than later."

"In many respects most people feel, as I think this is becoming the view slowly in the country, that it would be better to go in than stay out," he said.

Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram interpreted the results of the poll as proof of growing impatience with the government from the Labour backbenches.

"I can sense within the Labour Party growing impatience about what this is this disagreement between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. They want to get it out of the way because they see it as a distraction."

George Eustice, a spokesman for the No campaign, said the government's euro policy was "in shreds".

"The Treasury has admitted there's no 'clear and unambiguous' case for entry. The government should accept that replacing the pound is against Britain's economic interests or they should admit that they actually want to join for narrow political reasons. Business and the public are still opposed to the euro by two to one and there's no way the government could win a referendum in this parliament," he said.

A spokesman for the British Chambers of Commerce said that while an early referendum would be welcomed by business, the decision lay with the Treasury.

"What business needs is certainty, so the quicker the better. But a referendum has to be when the chancellor has made his five economic tests. We would welcome an early referendum...but again, the other side of the coin is it cannot be rushed. It is up to the chancellor and the Treasury," he told ePolitix.com.

A spokesman for the Confederation of British Industry said that the group was planning a poll of members for whenever a referendum was called, but no official position on the single currency had yet been decided.