Immigration is the British public’s top concern when it comes to Brexit talks, a new poll has revealed.
The survey results come after various campaigns have been launched by politicians to keep the UK inside the European Union’s (EU) Single Market, with the open borders that membership entails.
Other top priorities were tackling terror and forming our own trade deals outside the bloc. Low down was protecting the rights of EU migrants and keeping the border with Ireland open.
The YouGov/Eurotrack poll, conducted at the end of July, asked respondents to pick their top three priorities for the Brexit negotiations out of eight possible options.
The second priority for respondents suggested that the public want the UK and EU to continue to cooperate on “security and anti-terrorism”, with 38 per cent of people choosing the statement.
The third-most popular options, tied at 36 per cent, was the statement asserting UK firms should have tariff-free access to the EU and the statement saying Britain should be able to make its own trade deals with non-EU nations.
To achieve tariff-free trade, the UK would either need a custom-made trade deal with the EU, or to be a member of the Customs Union – which would mean the UK could not form trade deals with other non-EU nations.
A further 31 per cent of people said that the Brexit “divorce bill” should be minimised whilst 26 per cent said they wanted an end to EU court’s supremacy over UK law.
Meanwhile, just 25 per cent said one of their top three priorities was to protect EU citizens currently living in Britain and just 11 per cent prioritised the continuity of a soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
On Wednesday, the British government bowed to EU demands and proposed keeping Ireland’s border with the UK open after Brexit, maintaining Free Movement and minimising customs checks.
A further two per cent said “other” and 11 per cent said they did not know.