As the EU referendum dominates many conversations at the Conservative conference, a new ComRes poll for the Daily Mail shows that the “Remain” side has a 19 point lead over those saying “Leave” on the EU referendum question. This is the first telephone poll to ask the official referendum question and shows that fewer people saying “don’t know” since July when ComRes last asked the In – Out question.
There is some division among Conservative supporters with a third (35%) saying they would vote to Leave the EU while 56% say they would vote to Remain. ComRes also applied its new Voter Turnout Model to the results which takes in respondents’ likelihood to vote based on demographics factors such as age and social class. This suggests that if turnout patterns at the referendum were similar to those at the General Election, 35% would vote to leave, compared to 58% who would vote to stay.
The poll also reveals that the aspect of EU renegotiation Britons say is most important to them is restricting the benefits that EU migrants entering the UK can receive. The most important thing the public think David Cameron should secure as part of his EU renegotiation is restricting the benefits that EU migrants entering the UK can receive. Eight in ten (82%) Britons say this is important, including 55% who say “very important”. Around three in four Britons say limiting the number of people moving to the UK from the EU is important, as well as giving the UK the option to stay out of future EU treaties (78% both).
