By James Cleaver, Online News Editor
Recent polling by YouGov has shown that support for a People’s Vote on the final terms of the Brexit deal is growing
The poll of South West voters puts support for a People’s Vote at 42 per cent, with opposition at 35 per cent. Support for a second referendum rises in the face of a no deal Brexit to 47 per cent. While the South West as a region voted to leave the European Union in 2016, it has followed the gradual national trend of increasing support for remain, with YouGov’s poll putting support for remain up by 2 points at 51-49.
Bristol itself voted to remain, with young people and students breaking that way overwhelmingly. Now 86 per cent of young people in the South West would vote to remain, according to YouGov, with students’ participation in popular programmes such as Erasmus+ not guaranteed post-Brexit. Economic analysis by researchers at the LSE, cited by the People’s Vote campaign, has estimated that Bristol would be 1.3 per cent worse off than the status quo over the next 10 years under a soft Brexit, and 2.6 per cent worse off under a hard Brexit.
Bristol has found itself at the centre of calls for a People's Vote. Last month a rally for a People’s Vote was held at Colston Hall, with politicians from across the political spectrum, including the South West MEP Molly Scott Cato, coming together to stress that Brexit is 'not a done deal.'
Sally Patterson, the Student Union’s Liberation, Equality and Access Officer, who spoke at the rally, said: ‘I support a People's Vote because Brexit will be catastrophic for students and young people. Brexit will weaken the diversity of our universities, threaten our rights as workers and curtail our opportunity to live and contribute abroad. We're heading towards a scenario in which 'no deal' will almost definitely hit our generation hardest. This is not what Leave voters voted for, and we deserve better.’
'Brexit will weaken the diversity of our universities, threaten our rights as workers and curtail our opportunity to live and contribute abroad.'
In response, Harry Eastley-Jones, Chairman of the Bristol University Conservative Association, argued: ‘We have already had a ‘People’s Vote’, it was on the 23rd June 2016 and the people voted to leave the European Union. I understand some are upset with this result but that is the nature of democracy. ‘We must focus now on the future and how to make a success out of Brexit rather than looking back and refighting the arguments of the referendum.’
Like students, the Labour MPs for the area encompassing Bristol University students are split on the issue. Thangam Debbonaire, the MP for Bristol West, has stated that she is not in favour of a second referendum, whereas Darren Jones, MP for Bristol North West, has come out in favour of a People’s Vote.
Featured Image: James Cleaver / Epigram
