The Government is in ‘deep trouble’ with voters over its admission that it would break international law by overriding part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, new polling suggests.
- About half of voters say law-breaking plan is unacceptable and only a quarter say it is acceptable
- Barely half of Conservative voters agree with party on this
- Only 6 per cent of young voters support 'law breaking' approach
Some 47 per cent of voters say planning to break the law is unacceptable, and only 25 per cent believe it can be acceptable. Once ‘don’t knows’ are stripped out, around two-thirds of those with an opinion oppose the Government’s position.
This comes as Anglosphere countries including the US and Ireland have condemned the Prime Minister for breaking trust and putting the Good Friday Agreement at risk.
The polling, carried out by YouGov for Best for Britain, should set Conservative alarm bells ringing – only 52 per cent of Conservative voters say planning to break the law is acceptable.
Younger voters are overwhelmingly opposed to the Government’s position – only 6 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds consider it to be acceptable.
Best for Britain CEO Naomi Smith said:
‘Any Government that can get only half its supporters on board with a controversial policy is in deep trouble.
‘Boris Johnson has completely lost non-Tory voters on this issue, doesn’t have the backing of a huge number of his own voters, and is struggling to maintain Westminster discipline as well, none of which is surprising for a party which considers itself to be a champion of law and order.
‘Whether the Government really will break the law or not is, in many ways, a moot point; the admission by Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis that law-breaking was on the cards, coupled with the international perception that Britain has gone rogue, has already hurt this country’s battered reputation – and caused considerable damage to the Government’s standing in the eyes of voters.’
About the poll
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,608 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 9th - 10th September 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). Data table available here.
YouGov asked the question: The Government this week has said that it plans to 'break international law in a very specific and limited way' to makes some changes the EU Withdrawal agreement. Do you think that it is acceptable for the Government to plan to break international law?
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