The nations’ mothers are backing Brexit to secure a better future for their children, according to a new poll by parenting site Netmums.
An online survey of 2,016 Netmums users found that 47 percent were planning to vote to leave the European Union in the referendum on June 23, while just 36 percent were voting to remain. In a measure of how much of the vote is still up for grabs, one in five said they still had not made up their minds.
The survey also found that pressure on services such as schools and hospitals was the foremost concern of respondents, followed closely by “future prospects for our children.”
National security was third on the list, while economic concerns were relegated to fourth place.
The results are in line with polling undertaken by Sky News in mid may, which found that immigration is the number one concern in voters’ minds going in to the final weeks of referendum campaigning, while just half as many put economic issues at the top of their list.
That could be good news for Brexiteers, as the Remain camp has made much of its economic arguments for staying within the EU while the Leave camp has gone big on immigration.
Leave campaigners and cabinet members Michael Gove and Penny Mordaunt have both made major interventions highlighting the planned expansions of the EU over the next few years to encompass Turkey and Baltic countries; a move which could see up to five million more migrants arriving in the UK to live and work if we remain within the EU.
By contrast, Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne have attempted to scare voters into remaining within the EU by threatening them with recession, crashing house prices, and stagnant wages, claims which have been ridiculed as ‘apocalyptic’ in the media.
The Mumsnet research shows that voters are equally sceptical: when asked what questions they would like to put to the two camps, they referenced Osborne’s claim that 800,000 jobs would be lost, asking “Is that true?” and “Which jobs will they be?”
UK Independence Party MEP Margot Parker said: “It’s not a surprise to me the majority of mums are in favour of leaving the EU. Remember they are in the frontline when it comes to schooling, housing and healthcare.”
The country needs to wrestle back control of our borders to ease the pressure on vital services she said, adding: “The interests of mums and their children will be better served outside of the EU and that is reflected in this latest poll.”
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