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Plurality back second UK vote on Brexit: poll
LONDON, July 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – More people in Britain are now in favour than oppose holding a second vote on Brexit, for the first time since the referendum rocked the political landscape two years ago, according to a poll published on Friday.
The YouGov poll in The Times newspaper found a fresh vote — focusing on the terms of the Brexit deal — would be backed by 42 percent of the public compared to 40 percent who would oppose it.
Several lawmakers are adding pressure to their campaigns for a second referendum on Britain’s impending departure from the European Union, scheduled for the end of March, as a way of breaking the deadlock in parliament.
London and Brussels are yet to reach an agreement on the terms of Britain’s exit from the bloc, and lawmakers are split on Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposals to keep Britain close to the EU on trade — parts of which have since been rejected by Brussels.
In the survey out Friday, respondents were asked: “Once the Brexit negotiations are complete and the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU have been agreed, do you think there should or should not be a referendum to accept or reject them?”
Forty-two percent of respondents said there should, while 40 percent said there should not.
YouGov has been asking the same question since April 2017 — when those opposed was at 48 to 31 percent — and the gap has been steadily narrowing since.
– Petition launched –
Meanwhile a petition launched Wednesday by The Independent online newspaper calling for a new referendum is approaching 300,000 signatures — challenging May’s declaration that there will be no second vote.
In the seismic 2016 referendum on Britain’s EU membership, 52 percent voted in favour of leaving the bloc.
A second question in the YouGov and Times poll asked how people would vote if there was now a re-run of the original Brexit vote to leave or remain in the EU.
To this question, 45 percent said Remain whilst 42 percent said Leave. Nine percent said they did not know and four percent would not vote.
Among those who voted Remain in 2016, 87 percent had not changed their view, while of those who voted Leave, 82 percent stuck with their choice.
YouGov surveyed 1,653 British adults on Wednesday and Thursday.
Meanwhile an Ipsos MORI poll of 1,023 adults for the London Evening Standard newspaper, conducted July 20-24, found that 72 percent of respondents lack confidence in May’s ability to reach a good deal with Brussels.
BSS/AFP/MMA/2118HRS