GREG HEFFER OF THE DAILY EXPRESS WRITES THAT BRITONS BACK PM THERESA MAY - INCLUDING SCOTS AND LONDONERS!!

Britons overwhelmingly back May’s Brexit plan - even Scots and Londoners want it

BRITONS overwhelmingly back Theresa May’s Brexit plan to get Britain out of the EU - but most believe Brussels will scupper the Prime Minister’s chances of getting the deal she wants, by GREG HEFFER.

Earlier this week, Mrs May set out her 12-point strategy for cutting the UK’s ties with the EU, including an end to Britain’s membership of the bloc’s Single Market, new controls on EU immigration and negotiating a free trade deal with the remaining 27 member states.

A YouGov poll has revealed a majority of voters (53 per cent) would be happy if Mrs May delivered on her plan, more than double the number (26 per cent) who would be unhappy.

There was also confidence in the Prime Minister’s ability to negotiate the sort of Brexit deal she has set out, with 47 per cent confident in Mrs May’s abilities compared to 38 per cent who weren’t.GETTY

But Britons were gloomy about the prospect of the EU agreeing to the Prime Minister’s departure strategy, with only one in five (20 per cent) thinking the 27 other member states would agree with Mrs May’s proposals.

More than half (56 per cent) believed remaining EU member states would oppose the Prime Minister’s plan.

Both Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan hit out at Mrs May’s Brexit blueprint this week.

SNP leader Ms Sturgeon warned the plan would be “economically catastrophic” as she repeated her threat to call another independence referendum, while Labour politician Mr Khan insisted the proposals “could rip Britain apart”.

More than half believed remaining EU member states would oppose the Prime Minister’s plan

But the opposition to Mrs May’s plan from both Ms Sturgeon and Mr Khan was not shared by voters in Scotland and London, areas with a majority Remain vote on June 23.

Half (50 per cent) of Londoners who responded to the YouGov survey said they were happy with the Prime Minister’s strategy, with only 30 per cent unhappy. 

Mrs May’s plan was also slightly favoured among Scottish respondents, with 44 per cent happy compared to 42 per cent happy.

Prior to the Prime Minister unveiling her own Brexit strategy, the Scottish Government had drawn up their own EU exit plan for Scotland.

This included Scotland staying in the Single Market and retaining the EU’s freedom of movement rules on immigration. But, in the poll, 63 per cent of Scottish respondents said having control over immigration from EU countries was the right thing to do with half (50 per cent) also in favour of the UK leaving the Single Market and negotiating a free trade deal instead.

As well as the large support for her Brexit vision, the Prime Minister was given a double boost as the YouGov survey also revealed the Conservatives had increased their lead over Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party.  The Tories (42 per cent) now hold a commanding 17-point poll lead over Labour (25 per cent), with Ukip third (12 per cent) and Liberal Democrats fourth (11 per cent).