Boost for May as Remainers back a hard exit

THE majority of Remain voters now back a hard Brexit and believe that Britain should take control of its borders, end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and pay little or nothing to leave the European Union.

A survey of more than 20,000 people by the London School of Economics and Oxford University found that 53 per cent of Remain voters back a hard Brexit over a soft Brexit. The news represents a significant boost to Theresa May and her ambition of uniting the country behind her Brexit strategy in the wake of the EU referendum vote.

It comes in the run-up to the publication of position papers by the Government next week which will set out Britain’s stance on key aspects of Brexit.

The Yougov survey suggests there is now little difference between Remain and Leave voters on some of the most contentious issues of the EU referendum. A total of 51.3 per cent of Remain voters backed a Brexit deal which delivers full control over migration and leads to lower numbers of EU migrants. The survey also suggests that Remain voters agree with Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, that the EU should “go whistle” for a big Brexit divorce bill.

A total of 54.7 per cent of Remain voters and 56.9 per cent of Leave backers said that they did not think the UK should hand over any money to the EU.

The position is in contrast to that of Britain’s Brexit negotiators, who are prepared to hand over a divorce bill of more than £36billion. There is also a significant endorsement of Mrs May’s “red line” that Britain will leave the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice – 52.2 per cent of Remain voters said they would support a deal in which Britain adopts some EU laws but is no longer subject to the European Court of Justice. Close to 60 per cent of Leave voters supported the same outcome.

Thomas Leeper, one of the authors of the report from the London School of Economics, said: “One of the things we were most intrigued by in these results was the degree to which Remain voters are willing to accept Brexit and the specific features of Brexit that Leave voters care the most about, such as legal sovereignty and control over immigration.”