Support for the UK leaving the European Union (EU) has hit a five-month high, with more that 55 per cent of voters getting behind Brexit, the latest poll has revealed.
For the third successive month, more than half of the voting public approves of the way that Brexit talks are being conducted. Meanwhile, disapproval is at its lowest level yet, sitting at just 45 per cent, a new survey from Orb International shows.
The poll apparently debunks the notion of Brexit regret, and the idea that the British public would vote differently if there was a second referendum. Three per cent more of the voting population now support Brexit than on the day of the referendum.
Johnny Heald, managing director of Orb International, told The Telegraph: “Since November, the British public are slowly becoming more comfortable with idea of Brexit and, each month, more are approving of the way in which the government is dealing with negotiations.”
As the dire predictions of so-called “project fear” have failed to materialise, and the UK’s economy has continued to succeed, it is possible that support for Brexit will continue to grow.
However, the public appears to be becoming more interested in trade deals as the divorce process begins, with immigration slipping down the nation’s list of concerns.
“However, as these talks develop, it’s interesting that the public is increasingly concerned more about free trade agreements than immigration marking a reversal of the preference aired during the campaign”, added Mr. Heald.
Immigration was seen as the most important issue in the June referendum. However, the recent survey found that 47 per cent of voters now disagreed that “controlling immigration [was] more important than access to free trade”.
Analysis of the figures showed that the swing in opinion has been driven by pensioners, with the proportion of those prioritising immigration over trade falling from 61 per cent in March to 47 per cent in April.
Confidence that immigration can be controlled is also down, with only 58 per cent believing that the UK will have greater control over immigration once withdrawal from the EU is complete.
The Prime Minister has promised to bring immigration to below 100,o00, but has also said she is happy for free movement to continue for years after Britain leaves the EU during a so-called “implementation” period.
Last week, a report for pro-Brexit campaign group Leave Means Leave, said that post-Brexit Britain can slash net migration to 50,000 a year by barring unskilled labour and imposing a strict visa regime without damaging the economy.
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