Labour could win more seats by turning against Brexit, new poll finds

The Constitution Society says that the Labour Party would remain on course to regain all Red Wall seats and could expand its overall support if it said Brexit was a mistake.

Brexit and EU

The Labour Party can win an increased majority by turning against Brexit, a new poll has found.

The Constitution Society says that the Labour Party would remain on course to regain all Red Wall seats and could expand its overall support if it said Brexit was a mistake.

The group said: “Labour seems to be motivated by the fear that appearing to be anti-Brexit would risk its chances of regaining the so-called ‘Red Wall’ seats at the next General Election.”

It goes on to add: “The poll commissioned by The Constitution Society and published today, though, finds that there would be no electoral penalty for Labour if the Party said Brexit was a mistake, and that it could even gain from doing so. With its present stance of ‘make Brexit work’, Labour is projected to win 527 seats in the House of Commons, a majority of 404. If it said Brexit was a mistake, its seats total could rise to 550.”

The poll found that, among the general population of Great Britain:

Most people (59%) think Brexit has made Britain worse off

Most people (55%) think that Brexit was a mistake

Among Red Wall voters:

Exactly half agree that Brexit has made Britain worse off

46% say Brexit was a mistake

On General Voting Intention, Labour has a lead of 33% over the Conservatives

Andrew Blick, Professor of Politics and Contemporary History, King’s College London, and Senior Adviser to The Constitution Society said: “Most Labour voters backed remain in 2016, and a majority of members of the public seem now to view Brexit as a mistake. But because of the way that the UK “First-Past-the-Post” voting system works, a particular viewpoint can achieve electoral importance out of proportion to its total popularity.

“Support for Brexit was high in seats that Labour lost in 2019. The party seems to have drawn the conclusion that it cannot come back into power if it criticises Brexit. But, this polling suggests it is mistaken. On this evidence, criticism of Brexit might not be a dealbreaker in the Red Wall, and saying Brexit was a mistake could improve Labour’s overall electoral performance.”

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