Public support for Brexit up as talks begin

SUPPORT for Brexit has hit a fivemonth high, with 55 per cent of the population now backing Britain’s exit from the European Union, according to a new poll.

The survey from Orb International also showed a four per cent boost for Theresa May in the days after she triggered the start of Brexit talks at the end of last month.

The poll also found that, for the first time, people were more concerned about trade talks than immigration as formal negotiations got under way. Analysis of the figures also showed that the swing in opinion had been driven by pensioners, with the proportion of those prioritising immigration over trade falling from 61 per cent in March to 47 per cent in April.

Confidence that immigration can be controlled is also down, with only 58 per cent believing that the UK will have greater control over its borders once withdrawal from the EU is complete.

Johnny Heald, managing director of Orb International, said: “Since November the British public are slowly becoming more comfortable with the idea of Brexit and, each month, more are approving of the way in which the Gov- ernment is dealing with negotiations.

“However, as these talks develop, it’s interesting that the public is increasingly concerned more about free trade agreements than immigration – marking a reversal of the preference aired during the campaign.”

For the third successive month more than half of the British public – 55 per cent – approved of the way that Brexit talks were being handled.

However, the poll found that just over 40 per cent of voters believed or strongly believed that the Prime Minister, “will get the right deal for Britain”.