UK poll backs May on Brexit

A new poll suggests that almost half of British adults believe Theresa May should remain as UK prime minister — at least until Britain leaves the European Union.

The survey, by ComRes, found 47pc support for May to carry on until Brexit is due to happen in March — including from 75pc of Tory voters.

A third (33pc) of those polled believe she should quit before Brexit. However, there was a more even split when the poll asked if she should carry on “for the foreseeable future”, with 38pc saying she should and 41pc saying go.

There was bad news for some of her possible challengers, however, with just 17pc of voters wanting Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg to take over if May steps down. Boris Johnson was backed by 21pc of those polled — but he was also the most actively opposed, with 61pc against his appointment.

It also found a second referendum would be a close call, with Remain beating Leave by 45pc to 43pc, with 10pc of respondents saying they had “had enough of Brexit and wouldn’t vote”.

Meanwhile in London, the UK House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said there is still time for “more to be done” on the Brexit deal.

But responding tothe chaos in London from the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Dublin, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said pro-Brexit UK ministers are “not living in the real world” if they think they can renegotiate the divorce treaty agreed last week.