Northern Ireland

Brexit vote would be overturned if EU referendum was run again, survey finds

The UK is on course to leave the EU on March 29
The UK is on course to leave the EU on March 29 The UK is on course to leave the EU on March 29

IF the Brexit vote was re-run, 51% of people in Britain and Northern Ireland would choose to remain within the European Union, according to a new survey.

The poll across all 28 member states found that two-thirds of Europeans would vote to remain within the bloc.

Support for the EU across all states rose significantly following the Brexit vote and protracted exit negotiations, the survey found.

It revealed that approval for the union was high in the Republic, with 85% of respondents saying EU membership was positive for the state.

A total of 92% of respondents in the Republic said their country had benefited from being a member of the EU - compared to an average of 68% across the bloc.

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The Parlemeter 2018 survey, conducted last month, found that despite support for the EU only 40% of Irish respondents were interested in next year's European elections.

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, said the results of the survey were telling.

"The fact that 51% of UK citizens surveyed want to stay in the EU is a stark reminder of the deep divisions wrought by the Brexit decision and the need for us to find a sustainable and close long term future relationship in the form of a broad and deep association agreement," he said.

"While we must prepare for all eventualities, it appears there is little appetite in the UK or elsewhere in the EU for a so-called hard Brexit or a costly no deal scenario and I hope that the outcome of the negotiations will ultimately reflect this."