Labour would gain significant boost in support if it pledged second Brexit referendum

The Labour Party would gain a significant boost in support if it pledged a second referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU in its manifesto, a poll has found.

As we approach the 10^th anniversary of Brexit, regret over the decision to leave the EU has reached an all-time high, with opinion polls consistently showing a majority of Britons not only wanting closer ties to the EU but also in favour of re-joining.

A poll carried out by YouGov last week found that 55% of respondents support rejoining the EU, after the decision to leave 10 years ago.

Now an Ipsos survey shows that while 31% of voters say they are likely to consider voting Labour at the next general election, were Labour to offer a second referendum in its manifesto, this rises to a 45% – the only EU policy pledge tested that makes a meaningful difference to the party’s support.

Supporting such a manifesto pledge would boost Labour’s appeal among supporters of every other party, even likely Reform UK and Conservative voters (although clear majorities of both would still not consider Labour).

The polling company finds that: “A referendum pledge raises the share who would consider Labour by a consistent 13-16 points among every group, even among likely Conservative voters (from 26% to 41%) and likely Reform UK voters (from 18% to 31%).”