Nigel Farage is considered the best party leader to negotiate a Brexit deal and to lead the United Kingdom out of the current deadlock, according to a new poll.
Twenty-eight per cent of the 2,041 respondents to a ComRes survey for the Sunday Mirror and Sunday Express said that they believed Mr Farage would be the best political figure to “lead the UK out of the Brexit crisis,” followed by Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn at 24 per cent, with Tory prime minister Theresa May at 20 per cent.
Mr Farage came out on top when asked who would be best to negotiate a good Brexit deal for the United Kingdom, and who could restore the country’s sense of self-confidence.
The ComRes poll also revealed a majority — 63 per cent — back a No Deal exit from the EU should Parliament reject Mrs May’s EU-approved withdrawal treaty for a fourth time, with 62 per cent saying they want the Prime Minister to resign.
Much of the Brexit deadlock has been caused by Mrs May’s unwillingness to take Britain out of the EU without a formal deal and treat with it on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms, despite her withdrawal treaty being voted down three times in the House of Commons.
This has resulted in the country’s exit being delayed twice, from March 29th, 2019, to, at present, October 31st, 2019.
Amidst a number of objections to the withdrawal treaty, the contentious Irish backstop is preventing British unionists and Brexiteer Conservatives from backing the bill, as it threatens to lock Northern Ireland into customs and regulatory alignment with the EU, creating a barrier in the Irish Sea between the province and the rest of the United Kingdom.
So far, the EU remains unmoved by suggestions that the backstop be altered, removed, or even time-limited — as at present the proposed treaty does not allow for the British government to come out of it without the EU’s permission.
The leftist Labour opposition and anti-Brexit minor parties also reject any obstruction to the Free Movement of People from the EU or meaningful departure from the EU Customs Union, and have also declined to back the Prime Minister’s treaty.
In response, Mrs May is reportedly set to pitch a “bold offer” to MPs in her next attempt to pass it, which is believed to include promises on workers’ rights and provisions for future EU trade negotiations, to gain support from Labour.
This fourth Withdrawal Agreement Bill reading in the House of Commons is set to take place in the week beginning June 3rd.
European Parliament election voting stations open on Thursday, with the Brexit Party in the lead across several polls over the past few weeks, and the new party predicted to win over a majority of Tory voters.
The Mirror/Express ComRes poll also revealed that nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of respondents said that, should the Brexit Party win the most seats in the EU election, they should be engaged in future negotiations between London and Brussels.
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