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BREXIT BACKLASH

Voters hit out at £50bn ‘divorce bill’ and back second referendum on final deal as they declare EU the winners of the first round of Brexit talks

VOTERS have hit out at the £50billion “divorce bill” and now back a second referendum on the final deal as they declare the EU to be the clear winners of the first round of Brexit talks.

A poll conducted after Theresa May agreed to Brussels’ demands last week reveals just 16 per cent think the UK has come out on top in the negotiations so far.

 Voters have hit out at the £50bn ‘divorce bill’ and back a second referendum on the final deal
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Voters have hit out at the £50bn ‘divorce bill’ and back a second referendum on the final dealCredit: PA

Meanwhile 43 of those asked think Michel Barnier and his team have got the better end of the bargain.

But they believe the size of the bill is about vindictiveness from the other side and not a fair reflection of the money the UK is responsible for.

The results of the study by Survation for the shows the top choice among responders on why the bill was at £50billion was “because the EU wants to punish us”.

In second place was the Prime Minister’s weakness after her disastrous General Election result – while the least popular answer was that it reflects what the UK owes Brussels.

 Meanwhile 43 of those asked think Michel Barnier and his team have got the better end of the bargain
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Meanwhile 43 of those asked think Michel Barnier and his team have got the better end of the bargainCredit: AFP

Only 20 per cent are in favour of handing over such a large amount while nearly four in ten polled said we should not be paying anything to leave the bloc.

But if paying £50billion was the only way to get a trade deal voters were more likely to begrudgingly accept it, 40 per cent saying it is a price worth paying.

The study also shows one in two voters think there should be a second referendum on the final Brexit deal.

And in a blow to Mrs May’s preparations more than twice as many people think our EU exit will leave them worse off.

And 41 per cent admit they are “fearful” about Brexit – with only 30 per cent say they are “excited” about it.

  • Survation interviewed 1,003 adults on Thursday and Friday
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