- A new poll finds the British public support a referendum on the "final say" on May's Brexit deal by a margin of 44% to 36%.
- A second referendum would have to take place before the UK is scheduled to depart the EU in March next year.
- Theresa May has repeatedly ruled out the prospect of a second vote.
- However, a slightly differently worded question, which asked whether there should be a "public vote," put the "should not" camp in the lead by several points.
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The British public supports a referendum to have a 'final say' on the Brexit deal
A second referendum would have to take place before March next year, when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU.
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LONDON — The British public supports a vote on the terms of the final Brexit deal for the first time, according to a new opinion poll.
The poll, conducted by YouGov for pro-Brexit campaign group Best for Britain, found that 44% of Brits want to vote on the deal Theresa May brings back from Brussels at the end of Brexit negotiations, while 36% do not.
It is the first poll to indicate public support for a referendum on the final deal. A separate question found that more people would support remaining in the European Union than leaving, with 44% in favour and 41% against.
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Here are the key findings:
- 44% of people want a "final say" on the Brexit deal that Prime Minister May is currently negotiating, compared to 36% who don't
- 19% told YouGov they were not sure
- Nearly a quarter of Leave voters (23%) want a final vote on the terms, as do two thirds (66%) of Labour voters
While the poll indicates clear support for a "final say" on the Brexit deal, public opinion is more ambiguous. A slightly differently worded question in the same poll asked whether there should be a "public vote" on the terms of the Brexit deal, and put "should not" ahead of "should" by six points (45% to 39%).
Eloise Todd, chief executive of Best for Britain, said: "There is a decisive majority in favour of a final say for the people of our country on the terms of Brexit. This poll is a turning point moment.
"The only democratic way to finish this process is to make sure the people of this country — not MPs across Europe — have the final say, giving them an informed choice on the two options available to them: the deal the government brings back and our current terms.
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"We now need MPs across Parliament, from Corbyn’s front bench to the moderates of the Conservative party to do what’s best for Britain and back a people’s vote on the terms."
The UK is scheduled to leave the EU in March next year with formal negotiations set to conclude by October. A new referendum would, therefore, have to take place within the five-month window between the two dates.
May has repeatedly ruled out the prospect of a second referendum. She told a conference in Germany last year that there was "no question of a second referendum or going back on that vote."
"People in the UK feel very strongly that if we take a decision, then governments should turn not round and say no you got that wrong."
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