FOR ‘REMAINERS’

reject them and stay in the bloc.

“The leader (Tim Farron) isn’t the most charismatic in my opinion, but the idea that they would try their best to stay in Europe is enough for me to vote for them,” he said.

But, few think like Glover and despite unexpectedly receiving the backing of the respected weekly magazine The Economist, the Liberal Democrats continue to languish in the polls.

The party only has seven per cent of voting intentions in a recent poll by YouGov, which interviewed 1,875 people on Tuesday and Wednesday.

That was well behind the ruling Conservative Party on 42 per cent and the main opposition Labour Party on 39 per cent.

Long-time supporter Benjamin, 31, said he would not vote for the Liberal Democrats despite being anxious over Brexit as his partner was European and his industry was dependent on business with Europe.

“It’s just that they are not going to win. There is no point,” he said.

For the pension fund employee, it is crucial to block Prime Minister Theresa May from leading Brexit negotiations.

“I don’t believe she or the Conservatives are doing what is best for the United Kingdom,” he said, arguing that “it would be better to have a Labour government”.

According to YouGov, 53 per cent of “Remainers” — those who voted to stay in the bloc — intend to vote for the main opposition party led by Jeremy Corbyn, even though his campaign to stay in the EU was lacklustre and he is now promising Brexit.

But, the party’s pledge to respect the outcome of the referendum while also negotiating a “close relationship” with the EU resonates well with “Remainers”.

Forty-eight per cent of them believe “the government has a duty to carry out” Brexit, according to a YouGov poll from May 8.

“People voted, so at the end of the day, if you go back on this referendum, why would you abide by any other referendum?” Natasha, a human resource professional, said.

Describing herself as “unrepresented” on the campaign trail, Natasha argued that the referendum’s close result “gives credence to the fact that there should be a soft Brexit”, where Britain would remain inside the European single market and allow immigration.

It is for these undecided voters that Gina Miller launched her “Best for Britain” initiative within hours of May taking the country by surprise in April by announcing a snap election.

Her crowd-funding appeal promised to put Brexit at the heart of the campaign and collected more than £400,000 (RM2.2 million).

The investment fund manager has distributed the money to 25 candidates from either Labour, Liberal Democrats, the Green Party or independent.

All pledged to fight against the tougher Brexit advocated by the prime minister.

For Miller, this “progressive alliance” may be the answer to what she see as a “vacuum” in British politics.

“The most effective thing to do is tactical voting,” she said.

Voters, she argued, should cast their ballot “for the character of the individual, not the character of the party”. AFP