Majority now support second referendum on final Brexit deal

Union Jack and EU flag - Image credit: PA Images

Support for a referendum on the final Brexit deal has taken the lead for the first time, according to a new poll.

The YouGov survey for The Times shows that 42 per cent of voters now back a fresh poll, compared to 40 per cent who do not.

That marks a significant shift from last month, when opposition to a second referendum held a 45 per cent to 37 per cent lead.

The findings come against a backdrop of mounting government confusion over Brexit, with Theresa May's plans coming in for criticism from all sides.

In a further blow for the Prime Minister, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier rejected a key plank of the agreement struck by the Cabinet at Chequers earlier this month.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, Barnier said the so-called ‘facilitated customs agreement’, which would see the UK collect tariffs on behalf of Brussels, was a non-starter.

According to the YouGov poll, just 19 per cent of Leave voters would support a second referendum, compared to 66 per cent of those who backed Remain.

Support was highest among Lib Dem voters (67 per cent), with 58 per cent of Labour voters and 21 per cent of Tories saying they wanted to see another referendum.

When asked how they would vote in any new poll, 45 per cent said they would back staying in the EU compared to 42 per cent who would support leaving.

In a further blow for Theresa May, 75 per cent of voters said she is doing a bad job of negotiating Brexit, compared to just 14 per cent who think she is doing well.

Elsewhere, the poll also showed that Labour's brief lead over the Conservatives has disappeared.

Support for Jeremy Corbyn's party now stands at 38 per cent, the same as the Tories, with the Lib Dems on 10 per cent and UKIP on six per cent.

Meanwhile, Theresa May is in Austria today for talks on Brexit with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, before heading to Italy for a week's holiday with her husband.

After returning to London to attend a World War One memorial event marking the centenary of the battle of Amiens, the pair will then go to Switzerland for two weeks.