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Brexit: More voters prefer staying in EU to Theresa May's deal, new poll claims

Results come as Parliament prepares for five days of debates on the PMs deal

Ashley Cowburn
Political Correspondent
Friday 30 November 2018 08:05 GMT
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More than 700,000 protesters march on Westminster calling for a Final Say on Brexit deal

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More voters prefer staying in the European Union, rather than Theresa May's Brexit deal that MPs will vote on in under a fortnight, according to a new poll.

The fresh survey suggests that people also believe a no-deal scenario would be a better outcome for the UK - despite alarming warnings from the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney.

Assessments from the Bank claimed that in the worse case scenario, the economy would shrink by eight per cent and house prices could fall by almost a third.

The results come as Parliament prepares to debate the Brexit deal next week, as MPs kick off five days of debates before a final vote on the prime minister's deal - reached with the EU 27 - on 11 December.

The research - conducted by IQR for the pro-Brexit organisation, Global Britain - asked respondents what their preferred outcome in Britain's negotiations with the bloc.

It found that 25 per cent thought Ms May's deal was the best outcome while 32 per cent opted for no-deal scenario and 41 per cent believed the UK remaining in the EU was the better route.

Responding to the findings, Brian Monteith, the director of communications at Global Britain, who is advocating a "clean break" from the EU, claimed the prime minister is "selling the country short" with the deal reached between the UK and the EU on Sunday in Brussels.

He added: “For Conservative MP’s the consequence of supporting the withdrawal agreement is stark – a net 17 per cent of voters would switch away from such MPs at a future general election – an outcome that could cost the government 85 seats and deliver a humiliating defeat.”

The results also found that nearly half of respondents - or 46 per cent - believed the deal agreed with the EU does not represent the 2016 referendum result when Britian opted to leave the EU.

Thirty-six per cent said the deal did respect the result, however, while 16 per cent did not express an opinion and two per cent did not know.

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