Half of Britons support a second vote on whether to leave the European Union and a third said they would be worse off financially outside the world’s largest trading bloc, according to a new opinion poll.
The poll, published in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, found 50 percent of people supported another vote on the final terms of Britain’s exit deal, 34 percent rejected another referendum and 16 percent said they did not know.
The newspaper said it was the first major opinion poll since last week’s media reports that Britain is preparing to pay about 50 billion euros ($59 billion) to help to pave the way for talks on a future trade pact with the EU.
The poll found 35 percent of those surveyed said they would be worse off financially after Brexit, while 14 percent said they would be better off.
The online poll, carried out by research firm Survation, interviewed 1,003 adults in Britain between 30 November and 1 December.
Mike Smithson, an election analyst who runs the www.politicalbetting.com website and a former Liberal Democrat politician, said on Twitter it was “the first time any pollster has recorded backing” for a second Brexit referendum.
Since the referendum in 2016, high profile opponents of Britain’s exit – from French President Emmanuel Macron, to former British prime minister Tony Blair and billionaire investor George Soros – have suggested Britain could change its mind and avoid what they say will be disastrous for the British economy.
Blair told the BBC on Sunday that Britain could change its mind about leaving the EU.
“It’s reversible. It’s not done until it’s done,” he said.
Blair said what the government was seeking to negotiate was not possible.
“They are trying to negotiate getting out of the single market while recreating all of its benefits,” Blair said. “That’s not going to happen.”
Survation said it carries out polls for media organizations including the BBC, Sky News, the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian.
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Source: Reuters