Voters say May should press ahead with Brexit even if no deal is reached

Voters believe Theresa May should press ahead with Brexit even if she is unable to reach agreement with the EU on key aspects of trade, workplace rights and security.

YouGov found voters regarded the six tests for a Brexit deal set out by Labour on Monday as reasonable, but did not believe the party would be justified in opposing EU withdrawal if they are not met.

It also found that almost twice as many voters (39%) trust the Conservatives as Labour (20%) to make the right decisions over Brexit.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer set out six tests that any Brexit deal must meet to win Labour support – including retaining cooperation on security and crime, ensuring a strong future relationship with the EU, defending workplace and environmental protections, delivering for all regions and nations of the UK, providing the same trade benefits as single market membership and ensuring fair management of migration.

Almost half (45%) of those questioned agreed the tests were “reasonable”, but only 32% said Labour would be justified in opposing Brexit if all six conditions were not met.

Some 10% of those questioned said they trusted the Conservatives “a lot” and 29% “a fair amount” to make the right decisions on Brexit, compared to 2% and 18% respectively for Labour. Just 19% said they trusted the Liberal Democrats and 18% Ukip on the issue.

YouGov political researcher Chris Curtis said: “Regaining trust on Brexit is fundamental if Labour wants to return to power - especially in the event of a snap election.

“When developing these tests, it’s easy for Sir Keir Starmer to come up with a nice sounding list – what’s harder is to make it connect with the electorate and make them feel as though they are essential.”

Meanwhile, a separate poll by Ipsos Mori for King’s College London found that 70% of Britons expect other countries to follow the UK out of the EU in the decade after Brexit, but there was a deep split over whether this would be a good thing.

Some 65% of those who voted for Brexit said they wanted other member states to quit, while 65% of Remain voters said they hoped they would all stay.

Professor Anand Menon, of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, said: “While the Prime Minister has made it clear she wants the EU to flourish without the UK, a large proportion of Leave voters believe, and indeed hope, that other member states will leave the Union in the wake of Brexit.”