THE UK Government hopes to convince more voters to love the European Union in its bid to secure victory in David Cameron's pledged referendum on UK membership.

Sources said that while the drive to stay in a reformed EU would be hard-headed, it would also appeal to "hearts and minds".

The public will hear an emotional pitch on Europe's relative stability since the end of the Second World War as well as economic arguments about the benefits of a single market.

In the run up to last year's independence referendum pro-Union campaigners were dogged by accusations of negativity.

Critics, and even some supporters, complained that too little time was spent advancing a positive vision of Scotland's place inside the United Kingdom.

Downing Street confirmed this week that the pro-EU side will be the 'Yes' campaign in the upcoming referendum, due by the end of 2017 at the latest.

The Prime Minister has said that he is confident of securing a deal on EU reform before the vote.

However, he has warned other European leaders that he "rules nothing out" if change is not forthcoming, seen as a veiled threat that he could argue for the UK to leave the EU.

A source said: "All referendums have to be hard-headed to some extent but this campaign will be about hearts and minds.

"We will be reminding people that we helped to build peace as well as the Common Market."

In 2012 the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for what was described as six decades of work advancing peace in Europe.

The Nobel committee said that the EU had helped to transform Europe "from a continent of war to a continent of peace".

As in the independence referendum there will be a number of different campaigns battling it out in the run up to the EU vote.

As well as governments and political parties there will also be official 'Yes' and 'No' campaigns.

The 'Yes' campaign is expected to be launched within months, in a bid to capitalise on perceived disorganisation among 'No' supporters.

Polls show a changeable picture of UK-wide public opinion on the issue.

In February a survey by YouGov found that across the UK support for staying in the EU stood at 45 per cent.

However, two years previously, during the height of the Eurozone crisis, that figure was just 28 per cent, with backing for an exit 23 points in the lead.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called for a 'lock' to ensure that Scotland cannot be taken out of the EU against its will if the overall result is for 'Brexit'.

Her demand has been rejected by the UK Government which says that the referendum is a UK-wide vote.

Ms Sturgeon has also warned that a vote to leave the EU could trigger a second Scottish independence referendum.

Earlier this year the SNP leader said: "The example I have used is if there was an in/out referendum, and clearly with a majority Tory government that must be on the horizon, and Scotland voted to stay in the EU and the rest of the UK voted to come out, I think there would be significant opinion in Scotland that we had to re-look at the issue of independence."