Public would rather cancel Brexit than accept Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal

Anti-Brexit campaigners taking part in a People's Vote march in London. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA. - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images

People would rather stop Brexit altogether than accept Boris Johnson’s plan for Brexit, a new poll reveals.

According to Kantar just 20% of voters would back the new deal for Brexit – amounting to just one in five people – while one in three people (32%) would support revoking Article 50 and staying in the European Union.

Looking at different types of scenarios, 13% said they want a form of Leave which keeps the UK in a single market or a customs union, 14% want to leave without a deal, while 22% were unsure.

A majority of the public – when don’t knows are excluded – would like to see the deal put forward in a second referendum. The suggestion that Boris Johnson’s plan could be voted on by the public was backed by 58% compared to 42%.

The polling also found overwhelming support for many of the benefits EU membership already offers.

The public overwhelmingly back the UK continuing to collaborate with the EU on science, research and technology initiatives and on security and policing by more than 70%.

A majority want British companies to have tariff-free access to the EU markets (63%) and want European companies to have the same tariff-free access to UK markets, including services (53%).

More than 60% of Britons say they want the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to remain ‘soft’ without any passport control, and 54% want unrestricted rights for UK citizens to live in the EU.

The findings come as MPs prepare to vote on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal on Saturday.