Leave ahead in campaign

Polls fluctuate

LONDON, April 3, (Agencies): Young people could be the deciding factor in whether Britain stays in the EU, according to an opinion poll released Sunday, which put the Leave campaign in the lead.

The online survey for The Observer newspaper found support for Britain to quit the 28-country bloc was at 43 percent, with the campaign to stay in the EU on 39 percent.

Some 18 percent of the 1,966 adults asked in the Opinium online survey, conducted between Tuesday and Friday, said they were undecided on how they will vote. One percent refused to say.

There have been considerable fluctuations in the opinion polls ahead of the June 23 referendum.

Telephone surveys tend to put the Remain campaign ahead while those conducted online show them to be much closer.

The Observer said turnout among younger voters could hold the key to which way the referendum will go.

“Government strategists and pollsters privately admit that the central problem for the Remain side is that its support for staying in the EU is strongest among young people, the group least likely to vote,” its story said.

Everitt

The poll found that 53 percent of people aged 18 to 34 wanted Britain to stay in the European Union, with 29 percent wanting out.

In the 35 to 54 age group, 38 percent wanted to stay while 42 percent wanted to leave.

Amongst the over-55s, 30 percent want Britain to remain in the EU while 54 percent want to pull out.

Bookmakers currently give odds of around 2/5 for Remain, compared to around 2/1 for Leave, suggesting gamblers believe overall it is more likely Britain will stay in the EU.

The majority of British aerospace, defence, security and space companies believe that the country should stay in the European Union, the latest business group to come out in favour of staying in the bloc.

The economic impact of a ‘Brexit’ is one of the key issues for voters ahead of a referendum on Britain’s EU membership on June 23.

ADS Group, the industry body for aerospace, defence, security and space companies in Britain, said that 70 percent of its members believe it would be better for their business if the country stayed in the EU.

“Our members recognise the benefits of the UK remaining part of the EU; access to integrated European supply chain; R&D funding which enables the UK to compete globally, and the ability to influence and shape EU regulation,” ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt said.

The industry’s view echoed the comments of bosses at more than a third of Britain’s biggest companies including major oil firms Shell and BP and its largest telecoms group BT who warned in February that leaving the EU would put jobs and investments at risk.

Some companies do, however, favour an exit from the EU. The campaign for Britain to leave the EU has been backed by 250 business leaders including the former chief executive of HSBC, the Vote Leave group said in March.

Members of the ADS group employ 310,000 people in Britain and generate 31 billion pounds in exports for the country. The survey was carried out in February and March, ADS said.

Planemaker Airbus, which employs 16,000 people in Britain building wings for its aeroplanes amongst other activities, said in February that its British operations would be less competitive if the country voted to leave the EU.

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An amateur sailor who died after being swept off a yacht during a round-the-world race was buried at sea Sunday.

The 12 teams in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race held a minute’s silence on their boats in memory of Sarah Young. Darren Ladd, skipper of the boat Young had sailed on, IchorCoal, said the burial was “one of the hardest days of my life.”

“The crew stood on deck with all the courage and dignity we could muster, read a few of Sarah’s favorite prayers and poetry, before holding a minute’s silence,” Ladd said.

“Sarah was an adventurer and lived life to the full. She died an adventurer’s death battling the elements circumnavigating the globe.”