In last year’s referendum, Wales voted 53/47 for Brexit. But three-quarters of the population aren’t willing to lose any money to get it, according to a new opinion poll. As Dafydd Wigley told a Wales for Europe rally in Cardiff at the weekend, a referendum on the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU could despatch Brexit to the dustbin of history.
The former leader of Plaid Cymru said that while most Leave voters in last year’s referendum knew what they were against, very few knew what they wanted to take the place of EU membership. Brexiter ministers invariably claimed they were seeking the “best deal for Britain” but never spelt out what that means.
“Inevitably, when matters are left that vague, it means different things to different people,” he said. “What we are facing is the hardest of hard Brexits. We are being allowed to jump without a parachute. We are heading for a disastrous crash-landing.
“It would be utterly wrong – misguided and pig-headed – to take such an irreversible step into the unknown, without the full and final consent of the people of these islands.
“If it is, indeed, the settled view of the voters that we should quit the EU without a deal, then that judgement must be respected and delivered.” However, he did not think they would choose a totally unchartered course to an unpredictable future.
“And at that stage, this whole sorry saga could be put where it belongs – into the dustbin of history and buried in the deepest ocean, never to be seen again. We can then return to the serious matter of building peace, harmony and cooperation in Europe and our industry, farmers, universities and tourist operators – and particularly our young people – can plan a secure future, free from the present unnerving and unnecessary uncertainties.”
People didn’t vote to be worse off
Meanwhile, a new YouGov poll has revealed that more that 76% of people in Wales are not “willing to lose any money at all” in order to leave the EU.
Even the majority of Leave voters (55%) said they were unwilling to lose any money to leave the EU. 13% said they would be happy for it to cost them £10 a month, 13% said £20 a month and 10% said £50 a month. Only 4% were prepared to lose more than £200 a month.
There was very little difference between men and women, social classes or regions of Wales. But there was a difference between age groups. Those aged 25-49 were most resistant to losing out. More than eight out of 10 (83%) were not willing to lose any money, compared with 64% of those aged 65-plus.
Helen Birtwhistle, Director of Wales For Europe, which commissioned the poll, said: “These results demonstrate that the commitment of Leave voters to Brexit is not deep, and may well be changing as the full economic effects of Brexit become clearer. As the cost of living rises for families in Wales, we are all feeling the pinch.
“At the same time, the confusion over next steps in the Brexit process, combined with a growing realisation of the EU membership benefits Wales stands to lose, mean that people are reassessing their commitment to Brexit.
“These poll figures warn us that many Welsh people who backed Brexit could feel intensely disillusioned in the coming months as the cost mounts.”
