'Half of Brits think Theresa May is doing a bad job on Brexit talks', poll reveals

Just a third of Britons think Mrs May is getting the Brexit talks right
AP
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More than half the country think Theresa May is doing a bad job of negotiating Brexit and that she is unlikely to get a good deal for Britain, a poll reveals today.

With talks going into their most crucial phase yet over the next eight weeks, just a third of Britons think Mrs May is getting it right, found Ipsos MORI researchers.

The regular survey found public confidence in her handling of the most complex negotiations since World War II has declined markedly over the past 10 months.

In December last year, 51 per cent thought she was doing a good job and 35 per cent a bad job. Those figures have reversed, to 55 per cent bad job and 32 good.

Expectations of a Brexit settlement that is good for the country are low, with 35 per cent confident and 60 per cent not confident.

Brits think Theresa May is getting the Brexit talks wrong, pictured - a pro-Remain protest in London 
PA Archive/PA Images

That is unchanged since July, but worse than in March when the divide was 44/51.

On the bitterly contested political divide between immigration control and access to the European single market, the research suggests a modest shift in public opinion over the past year away towards prioritising the ability of firms to trade freely.

Nearly half say the single market should be the top priority in talks, while 37 per cent say immigration control is more important to them.

A year ago, the divide was slightly narrower at 45-39.

Seven in 10 people with degrees say the single market is more important. Just over half of people with no qualification prioritise immigration control.

Labour MP Barry Sheerman was accused of snobbery last week when he said “better educated people” backed Remain in the 2016 referendum.

However, there is no sign of Britons panicking at the likely impact of Brexit on their own incomes and livelihoods.

Just 20 per cent think they will be better off, while 36 per cent think they will become worse off – but a bigger group of 41 per cent think it will make no difference to them.

The figures are virtually unchanged from March, despite a decline in overall optimism about the economy during 2017.

Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour remains ahead of the Conservatives in this month’s poll by 40 per cent to 38.

All the main party leaders have negative ratings overall with the public, but Mr Corbyn’s score is better than Theresa May’s.

Both are seen to be doing well by seven in 10 of their own party supporters.

Optimism about how the economy will fare over the next year is low, with half expecting things to get worse and just a fifth thinking they will improve.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI said: “Since the summer half of Britons have been stubbornly pessimistic about the economy, with young people and graduates the most worried about the impact of Brexit on their own standard of living, while older people are most likely to think they will be unaffected.”

Tories lost three council seats to Liberal Democrats in the latest local battles which took place at Sefton, Arun and North Devon.

* Ipsos MORI interviewed 1,052 adults across GB by phone between Oct 27 and Nov 1. Data are weighted. Details at www.ipsos-mori.com​

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