Leave voters in Doncaster changing minds over Brexit, according to poll

Campaign group Best For Doncaster carried out its latest ,Brexitometer’ event as wrangles continue in Westminster over Britain’s departure from the EU.

And although the survey found that although there is still a strong preference to leave the EU in Doncaster, results suggest many Leave voters are now changing their minds.

The street survey saw 115 people answering a question about what they would choose next for Brexit out of four options – Theresa May’s deal, another deal, no deal or revoking Article 50 to stay in the EU.  

86 people answered a further question about whether there should be a People’s Vote on whatever deal is agreed, with the option to remain.

62% of respondents to the Brexit options question had voted Leave in the 2016 referendum, 30% had voted remain, and the rest either didn’t or couldn’t vote in 2016.  

For the question about a People’s Vote, 52% of respondents had voted leave in 2016, 35% had voted remain, and the rest didn’t or couldn’t vote in 2016.

Results showed that although there is still a preference for leaving the EU in Doncaster, only 3.5% of respondents favoured leaving with Theresa May’s deal and  6% of people who voted leave in 2016 want Article 50 to be revoked and the UK to stay in the EU.

55% of all respondents (18% of those who voted leave in 2016) want a People’s Vote with the option to remain in the UK.  

Best for Doncaster chairman Frederika Roberts said “Whilst the majority of people in Doncaster still wish to leave the EU, a number of leave voters have changed their minds.

“Over half (55%) of people we spoke to - 18% of leave voters - want to have a say on whether to accept a negotiated deal to leave the EU or cancel Brexit.”

“My MP, Caroline Flint, has been very outspoken about wanting to prevent a ‘no deal’ Brexit but also supporting leaving the EU with a deal.  

“In her constituency (Don Valley), 71% of the people we spoke to want any deal to be put to the people with the option to remain in the EU.”

“Just under half (46%) of those we spoke to from the Don Valley constituency want Article 50 to be revoked (8% of leave voters), in contrast to only 42% who want us to leave the EU without a deal.  

”None of the Don Valley respondents wanted to leave with Theresa May’s deal and only 11.5% wanted to leave with another deal.”

Members of the group joined other Yorkshire pro EU supporters in a demo outside Parliament on Monday.

Supporters from South, North and West Yorkshire travelled to London to increase pressure on MPs to press for any proposed Brexit deal to be put back to the people, with an option to Remain.

Richard Sadler, chair of North Yorkshire for Europe, said: “We know from street stalls across the region that the mood of the public has changed. Increasingly people are realising that we were misled by the Leave campaign over what Brexit would actually mean.”