Brexit: Is The 'Leave' Camp Winning The Argument?

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British Union flags in central London, Britain February 24, 2016. People might find argument for Brexit more convincing. Reuters/Hannah McKay

As Britain's EU referendum approaches, it looks as if the "Remain" campaign could be losing the argument.

Or that's what a poll published by research firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR) shows. In a survey, GQR found that voters prefer many of the key arguments put forward by campaigners who favour a "Brexit" to those advanced by pro-EU groups.

And, when respondents were asked how they would vote in the referendum for a second time, after they had been run through all the arguments, they were more likely to say they would vote to leave than before.

Before they had seen the arguments, 41 percent of those surveyed said they would vote to stay in the bloc, while 37 percent said they would vote to leave. Afterwards, 40 percent said they would vote to leave, while 39 percent said they would vote to remain.

"At the moment, the Remain campaign aren't triggering strong emotions," says James Morris, a GQR pollster, "it really is quite dessicated."

For example, while 56 percent of voters found a pro-Brexit argument about curbing EU migration convincing, and 58 percent were at least somewhat convinced by the argument that leaving the Bloc would "give Britain back control of its own laws," the strongest arguments for Remain, such as the risk Brexit might pose to jobs, mostly convinced only about 41 percent.

Morris thinks that the best strategy for Remain would be to do more to highlight the uncertainty and risk involved in voting to leave —tactics often dismissed by figures on both sides as "project fear." "The only strong weapon that the remain side have," he says, "is basically just to say 'is it really worth taking the risk'… without getting into any of the substance of the arguments."

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Josh is a staff writer covering Europe, including politics, policy, immigration and more.

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