Ahead of election, British voters evenly split on staying in EU - poll

LONDON (Reuters) - British voters are evenly split on whether they would vote to leave the European Union, according to a poll published on Wednesday, less than a month before a tight national election in which a membership referendum is on the cards. Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to renegotiate Britain's ties with the 28-nation bloc ahead of a referendum by the end of 2017 if his Conservative Party is re-elected on May 7. The Populus poll published in the Financial Times newspaper showed 39 percent of voters favoured leaving the EU, compared to 40 percent who said they would opt to stay. Cameron has said he wants to stay in a reformed EU but has also made clear he would rule nothing out if he cannot get the changes he wants, including steps to reduce the number of EU migrants coming to Britain. Polls show neither Cameron's Conservatives nor the opposition Labour Party, who do not plan to offer a referendum unless there is a further transfer of powers to Brussels, are on track to win an outright majority next month. On Wednesday, the Liberal Democrats, Cameron's junior coalition partners and possible kingmakers again after this election, hinted they could back some form of referendum in return for unspecified concessions. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Stephen Addison)