26 February 2019

POLITICO: Public backs Brexit extension — but only if it’s short

UK voters support a delay to Brexit, but only if it lasts no longer than three months, according to an exclusive POLITICO-Hanbury poll published ahead of a crucial showdown in the British parliament over the next steps in the Brexit process.

While voters remain skeptical about the intention behind any delay, overall they support pushing back Brexit day (with 47 percent in favor to 26 percent opposed) if it is needed to continue the exit negotiations or to ratify the deal. But support for an extension lasting any longer than three months drops dramatically, according to the survey of 2,006 adults. [...]

While her deal is still unpopular in the country, there are tentative signs that people are coming round to it, according to the poll, which was conducted between February 22 and 25. Overall, 30 percent said it should be approved by MPs, while 37 percent said it should not. But this is an improvement from when the agreement was struck with Brussels in November, when just 28 percent wanted MPs to approve the deal and 45 percent did not. [...]

According to the poll, 47 percent of respondents support or strongly support an extension of the Article 50 negotiating period, compared with 26 percent who oppose or strongly oppose such a delay.

But to maintain public support, any extension must be short. Forty-seven percent say a one month extension would be acceptable, compared with 32 percent who say it would not. This falls to 42 percent support for a three-month extension, compared with 40 percent who are opposed.

Conservative Party voters who backed Brexit in the referendum are strongly opposed to an extension though, with 51 percent opposed and 33 percent in favor. Twenty percent would find it acceptable to extend Article 50 in order to hold a second referendum or a general election, compared with 74 percent that find this unacceptable. And 27 percent would find it acceptable to extend Article 50 to prevent no-deal, compared with 63 percent who say that would be acceptable. [...]

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