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A new survey says 63 percent of those planning to vote Labour in the UK general election support Britain rejoining the EU.
A second and separate poll on voter intentions reveals that almost six in 10 voters (58 per cent) think that Brexit and Britain’s relationship with the EU should be one of the main issues in the election.
So far, little or nothing has been said about Brexit in the UK campaign including in a TV debate between the two men vying to become the next PM.
The findings come as millions of EU voters have voted this weekend in crunch elections for the European parliament.
The We Think survey of 1,242 voters commissioned by the pro-EU European Movement UK followed an intervention by the former UK deputy prime minister Lord Michael Heseltine in the Independent newspaper last week where he warned no issue can be discussed without referring it to Brexit.
Last week, UK PM Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer went head-to-head for the first time in the General Election campaign, as both leaders tried to convince the public why they deserve the top job which will be decided on 4 July.
The ITV debate focused on key issues facing the country such as the NHS, the cost of living crisis, immigration, and the conflict in Gaza, and how the UK’s relationship with Donald Trump – now a convicted felon – will play out if he wins a second term.
However, campaigners have criticised that Brexit was not mentioned once during the debate, despite the fact it is estimated to be costing UK economy £100bn per year.
Naomi Smith, CEO of Best for Britain and founder of tactical voting website, GetVoting.org said, “Brexit has made the cost of living crisis worse, increased labour shortages in the NHS and strained our international relations, so to talk for over an hour on the sorry state of all three without even mentioning it is at best dishonest and at worst deceitful.”
“People, politicians and the press are understandably sick of talking about it, but we must break the Brexit omertà because no future Government can meet the serious challenges facing Britain if they continue to ignore the immense damage Brexit continues to cause.”
Dr Mike Galsworthy, chair of European Movement UK, said: “Rather than a discussion on their future, young people have been offered national service instead. It is a betrayal of our younger generations that both the main parties are seeking to avoid any discussion of the European future our youth want to be talking about.”
“If you ask 18- to 34-year-olds what they want – it is overwhelming that they want to join the EU and they want have discussion about the UK-Europe relationship right now in this election. It’s time to let them fight for their futures rather than forcing them to train to fight for a country that doesn’t listen.”
Voters in the Netherlands were, on Thursday, first to go to the polls in the EU elections with most other countries voting today.
Some expect extremist groupings to perform well in the elections with an influx from far-right parties.
