UK's Labour Party risks losing voters over Brexit: Poll

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON

A quarter of supporters of Britain’s opposition Labour Party could abandon it by the next election, and more than half oppose it backing the Brexit process, according to a new survey.

The YouGov Survey, conducted on Dec. 17-19, polled people who intend to vote for Labour in the next election. Though there have been many surveys on whether the public is changing its mind on Brexit, the current poll is the first to question whether Labour would hemorrhage supporters should it continue its ambiguous stance on Brexit.

The poll, conducted for the Remain campaign group Best for Britain, found that 63 percent of Labour supporters would be delighted if Labour brought Brexit to a halt and opted to remain in the EU, compared to only 21 percent who would oppose this. About 10 percent apiece said they would be angry, disappointed, or would not mind.

The poll also found opposing perceptions by voters over the party’s stance on Brexit. Some 32 percent of voters who voted to remain believe that Labour is against Brexit entirely, while 31 percent of those who voted to leave believe that Labour favors leaving the EU.

Labour is coming under increasing pressure from pro-Remain campaigners to clarify its stance on Brexit.

The leadership could inflict damage on voter confidence if it does not present a clear stance on Brexit, they claim, adding that sending different messages to different audiences will undermine its credibility.

Although they lost the 2017 general election, Labour gained 30 seats, capturing 40 percent of the national vote, their best showing since 2001, due to a surge in young voters expressing dissatisfaction with Brexit and the way negotiations were proceeding.