Three-quarters of Labour members want second EU referendum, poll finds
2 min read
Three-quarters of Labour party members want a second EU referendum, according to a new poll.
Research by YouGov on behalf of Queen Mary University and Sussex University found that 72% want another poll to be carried out, compared to just 18% who do not.
The poll of 1,034 Labour members also showed that 88% of them would vote to stay in the EU if another referendum took place.
The findings increase the pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to support a so-called "People's Vote", something he has been reluctant to do up until now.
Labour's official position is to push for a fresh general election, but to keep open the option of backing another referendum if that fails.
Professor Tim Bale of Queen Mary University, who helped carry out the research, said: "If Jeremy Corbyn genuinely believes, as he has repeatedly claimed, that the Labour party’s policy should reflect the wishes of its members rather than just its leaders, then he arguably has a funny way of showing it – at least when it comes to Brexit."
Elsewhere, the research also found that 65% of Labour members thought Mr Corbyn was doing well, compared to 33% who thought he was doing badly.
That compares to a poll of members for The Times at the end of March, which found that 80% thought he was doing well and 19% who thought that he was doing badly.
A Labour spokesman said: “As unanimously agreed at Labour party conference, if Theresa May’s botched Brexit deal is voted down in parliament then a general election should be called.
"In line with the policy agreed at conference, if the Conservatives block a general election then we will keep all options on the table, including the option of campaigning for a public vote."
