Bombshell poll reveals heavy union backing for second Brexit vote
Survey of Unite, Unison and GMB members reveals 2-1 support for new referendum
Members of Britain’s three biggest
trade unions now support a new referendum on
Brexit by a margin of more than two to one, according to a bombshell poll that will cause political shockwaves on the eve of the party conference season.
The survey of more than 2,700 members of Unite, Unison and the GMB by YouGov, for the People’s Vote campaign, also finds that a clear majority of members of the three unions now back staying in the EU, believing
Brexit will be bad for jobs and living standards.
The poll found that members of Unite, the country’s biggest union, and Labour’s largest financial backer, now support a referendum on the final Brexit deal by 59% to 33% and support staying in the EU by 61% to 35%. GMB’s members support putting the issue back to the people by 56% to 33% and its members want the UK to stay in the EU by 55% to 37%.
Unison members back another referendum by 66% to 22% and would opt to stay in the EU by 61% to 35%.
Union members think standards of living will deteriorate as a result of Brexit by a margin of around four to one (Unite members by 55% to 11%, Unison members by 61% to 16%, and GMB members by 49% to 11%).
They also believe Brexit will worsen, not improve, job opportunities (Unite members by 57% to 16%, Unison members by 52% to 27%, and GMB members by 43% to 18%).
Despite claims that workers are overwhelmingly against immigration, members of all three unions want to prioritise trade over controlling immigration (Unison members by 68% to 22%, Unite members by 65% to 27%, and GMB members by 58% to 32%).
Last week Tim Roache, the GMB’s general secretary, announced that his union would back another referendum after consulting its 620,000 members. Roache, who will address a People’s Vote March for the Many on the opening day of Labour’s conference, said the country did not vote for a “no deal” Brexit or to damage the economy.
“In trade union terms, if we negotiate a pay deal for our members we put that deal back to the members and they decide whether that’s acceptable or not.”