Yahoo Finance Only 8% of voters say a second referendum is best for Britain
Growing numbers of businesses and MPs are calling for a second referendum after parliament resoundingly rejected the government’s Brexit deal.
The business group London First said last night that the decision should go “back to the people” if the government cannot find a plan that MPs will support.
Several senior business figures are expected to sign a People’s Vote campaign letter this week, including a former BT Group chairman, former J Sainsbury chief executive and former City minister.
Meanwhile, more than 70 Labour MPs today urged their leader Jeremy Corbyn to back a new referendum if another election proves impossible. Six more MPs joined the campaign after prime minister Theresa May’s plan was defeated in the Commons yesterday.
But a new YouGov survey shows surprisingly low support for another public vote on the deal, despite the idea gaining significant traction among MPs and sustained media coverage in recent months.
Only 8% of voters polled in early January gave a referendum as their first preference for what Britain should do next.
READ MORE: How Britain is on the cusp of another general election and a delayed Brexit
Stopping Brexit altogether commanded the most first preferences (28%), suggesting a large majority of Remainers would avoid another referendum if they could.
When asked about desirable rather than ideal scenarios, less than half of voters supported another public vote, with only 36% calling it a “good outcome” and 9% an “acceptable compromise”. 41% said a fresh vote would be a “bad outcome”.
No one option was popular enough to be the first choice of even a third of voters.
Leaving the EU without a deal was the option with the second highest number of first preferences (22% of voters), despite many warnings of the catastrophic consequences of a hard Brexit. Just 15% said accepting Theresa May’s deal was the best thing to do.
But the poll did contain some comfort for politicians, businesses and investors desperate to avoid the UK teetering off a cliff on March 29.
A small majority (52%) of those surveyed said a no-deal Brexit would be a “bad outcome” – making it the least popular option overall.
READ MORE: Where the pound could go next after May’s defeat
