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Two major European newspapers, Le Monde and Die Welt, have been given a YouGov poll of 10,000 Britons by the campaign group, which shows that 72% of people are opposed to a Brexit in which the details of the future deal are unclear when the UK leaves.
The polling suggests that if the British public are made aware before the UK’s withdrawal on 29 March 2019 of the limited nature of the EU’s offer, and the lack of the protections for the British economy, support for a second referendum – which could keep the UK in the union – would grow.
Diplomats among the EU member states are currently debating how detailed the so-called joint political declaration on the future relationship needs to be for 29 March.
The declaration on the future trade deal will be a separate document to the main withdrawal treaty, and will not be legally binding, allowing the language to be vague if both sides of the negotiations decide to defer major decisions to avoid a public row.
Some voices, including key figures in the European commission, believe a vague and aspirational declaration, which does not rule out the UK’s demands for the future, despite Brussels’ complete opposition to many of them, would be the safest way to avoid a no-deal scenario.
Under such a strategy, it would be during the 21-month transition period – after the UK has formally agreed in the withdrawal agreement to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, protect EU citizens’ rights and pay a £39bn divorce bill – that Brussels would formally reject the Chequers proposals.
The People’s Vote campaign – which was boosted in August by a record £1m donation from the multimillionaire Julian Dunkerton, who co-founded the Superdry fashion label – is focusing on polling in order to convince key decision-makers that the UK’s withdrawal is not certain. [...]