UK would vote to remain now

BRITAIN would now vote to stay in the EU as more young people and those who did not bother to vote in the 2016 referendum would now vote against Brexit, a survey of 20 000 voters showed.

With just five months to go until the UK is due to leave the EU on March 29, voters now would back staying by 54% to 46%, the study by the Survation pollster for Channel 4 showed.

Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly ruled out a rerun of the referendum, though former prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major have called for another vote, and 700 000 people marched in London last month to demand one.

British election expert John Curtice said the outcome of any new vote would still depend on who turned out. “The swing towards remain has been strongest among younger voters. It’s virtually absent among older voters.”

Previously, most opinion polls have shown only slight changes in public opinion since the Brexit vote.

Many surveys ahead of the vote incorrectly predicted that the UK would vote to stay in the club it joined in 1973. In the June 23, 2016, referendum, 17.4 million voters, or 51.9% , backed leaving the EU while 16.1million, or 48.1% , backed staying.

Brexiteers argue that May’s predecessor, David Cameron, said during the campaign that the decision would be final. But those who back a “People’s Vote” say May’s vision for Brexit was not on the ballot in 2016, so the public should have a new say.

May’s approach, seeking free trade in goods with the EU while accepting some of its regulations, has been criticised by both supporters and opponents of Brexit.

The Survation poll found that 33% of people would reject a deal reached by May, compared to just 26% who would accept it. Should May be unable to agree a deal by March 29, 36% said Britain should leave without a deal, 35% said it should stay in the EU and 19% said departure should be delayed until an agreement is reached.

If May did agree a deal, 43% would support a referendum to choose between accepting the deal or remaining in the EU, compared to 37% who w ould oppose a vote, the survey found.

Meanwhile yesterday Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a phone conversation with May, his office said, to discuss the upcoming G20 summit in Buenos Aires. He reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring a “seamless transition” of their bilateral relations following Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.