By Yvette Shapiro
Revealed 06/04/2016
Northern Eire is turning into barely extra in favour of Britain leaving the European Union, with one in 4 pensioners now supporting a Brexit, in response to the newest opinion ballot.
A survey of 1,000 individuals, carried out final month for Danske Financial institution, confirmed that fifty six% of respondents have been content material to stay within the EU, 18% needed to go away and 26% stated they have been unsure.
The share who favour a Brexit has risen 2% because the financial institution’s final survey in June 2015. 9 months in the past, sixteen% needed to go away the EU. Final month, 18% favoured this feature. Concurrently, there was a 2% drop in those that help Britain’s persevering with membership, down from fifty eight%. The share of these nonetheless undecided remained static at 26%.
However the survey, carried out by Millward Brown, confirmed a pointy rise within the variety of pensioners who favour Brexit. The proportion of over-65s hoping to stay within the EU fell 15% to only forty three% within the newest ballot. And there was a dramatic rise in pensioner uncertainty, with “do not know” responses up from 22% in June final yr to 31% final month. Simply over one in 4 pensioners – 26% – stated they want to exit the EU.
Younger individuals have been extra constructive about Europe, with the proportion of 24-35-yr-olds hoping to remain rising 7% to sixty two% over the previous 9 months.
Danske Financial institution chief economist Angela McGowan stated: “The newest ballot exhibits a really small shift in Northern Eire’s choice for EU membership. Help for staying in Europe is by far the bulk view, though the depart campaigners have made slightly floor during the last yr. Sometimes we’ve got discovered that center class households, males and full-time staff stay most keen to stay within the EU. Nevertheless, older individuals, these in low revenue households and other people within the north of Northern Eire usually tend to help a Brexit.
“The outcome could have financial, political and social penalties and it’s alarming that 26% are unsure about how they’ll vote.”
The survey confirmed that males have been extra determined than ladies on the difficulty. 60% of males, versus fifty three% of females, stated they have been ready to stay within the EU. 23% of males needed to go away, in comparison with 14% of girls favouring a Brexit. Over a 3rd of girls – 34% – replied “do not know”, towards simply 18% of males who have not but made up their minds.
With greater than two and a half months to go earlier than the referendum on June 23, voters are being assailed by a plethora of surveys, speeches, marketing campaign messages, claims and counter-claims.
In a serious EU debate in Belfast on Monday night time, stay streamed by the Belfast Telegraph’s web site, the one hundred fifty-robust viewers heard impassioned speeches and sharp exchanges between Brexiteers Owen Paterson, the previous NI Secretary of State, and Labour’s Northern Eire-born MP Kate Hoey, and the professional-EU campaigners Vernon Coaker MP, presently Shadow Secretary of State, and the previous MEP John Stevens.
Snap polls of the viewers, carried out by Ipsos MORI earlier than and after the ninety-minute debate, recorded a 17% swing in favour of a Brexit, and a 12% drop in these supporting EU membership.