BMG poll for Left Foot Forward shows the PM must 'step back from the cliff edge'.

Pic: A no deal outcome would see the return of a ‘hard border’ in Northern Ireland 

The government would pay a ‘heavy political price’ if the UK left the EU without a deal, according to campaigners today.

It follows new BMG Research polling for Left Foot Forward showing that of those with a view, 41% of the British public would see Theresa May and the government’s negotiating team as responsible in the event of a ‘no deal’ outcome.

That compares to under a quarter (23%) of people who would blame the European Union – suggesting the Prime Minister will take the hit, rather than so-called ‘saboteurs’ or the EU – if the UK was forced into World Trade Organisation terms after Brexit in March 2019.

The findings come as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt meets Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs today to avert a no deal outcome – with the latter pinning the chances of such a result at 50-50.

Meanwhile, plans to stockpile goods in preparation for high tariffs and delays following a no deal outcome next March appear to be continuing.

The SNP’s Europe spokesperson in Westminster, Peter Grant MP, said the poll showed it was time for Theresa May to ‘step back from the cliff edge’:

“The costs of Brexit are becoming clearer by the day, and the shambolic no-deal Brexit threatened by the Tories would make things far worse still.

“Businesses, economists and organisations are warning of the dangers a Tory-driven hard Brexit will have on the economy, jobs and the living standards of families across the UK. It’s high time the Prime Minister heeded the mounting and tangible evidence and took a step back from the cliff-edge.

“Ordinary households risk paying the price for the Tories’ recklessness, and this poll makes clear that Theresa May’s government will pay a very heavy political price if they drag us off the cliff edge of a no-deal Brexit.”

Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake MP believes the poll reflects the need for a ‘people’s vote’ on any Brexit deal – or lack thereof: 

“Theresa May and her ragtag Conservative party is making a mess of Brexit, and this poll shows the public know it.

“Any Brexit deal, no-deal or otherwise, is a bad deal. Bad for our NHS, for jobs and for the environment. It is time the Labour party realised that too.

“All this mess can be avoided, however, by giving the people a final say on the deal, and an opportunity to Exit from Brexit.”

Best for Britain CEO Eloise Todd said leaving with no deal would be a ‘catastrophic outcome’, with the poll showing blame would be ‘squarely laid at the government’s door’:

“No deal is only on the table because of May’s attempts to blackmail the British public into accepting her deal, however bad it might be.

“The British public shouldn’t have to pay the price for botched Brexit, so it’s no surprise this poll shows the blame would be squarely laid at the governments door.

“We have got to put power back in the hands of the people, giving them a real say on the outcome of this process, including the option to stay and lead within our current EU deal rather than accept a botched government deal or even worse, no deal.”

And Francis Grove-White, Deputy Director of Open Britain, believes the government will – whether they like it or not – be held to account over a botched Brexit process:

“It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the public would blame Theresa May and her ministers for a disastrous no deal Brexit – the term ‘omnishambles’ could have been invented for this Government…

“But the public will also hold the Government responsible for a bad Brexit deal, or a ‘blind Brexit’ in which we leave with no idea about where we are going.

“Public opinion is turning against this botched Brexit process because all the options are a million miles away from what was promised….The politicians are making a mess of this process – it’s time for the people to have their say.”

Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards told this site that the government’s ‘shambles’ was clear to see:

“Brexit was never going to lead to a more prosperous future, but Theresa May’s shambolic handling of it puts us on the brink of an economic cliff edge and people can clearly see that…

“Staying in the Single Market and the Customs Union is the only way we can protect jobs, wages and the opportunities of future generations. If the government continues to rule that out, the people must have a final say on the deal.”

Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter. 

See also: EXCLUSIVE: Theresa May would be to blame for ‘no deal’ Brexit outcome, say voters

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