Yahoo News Brexit less important to British families than health, poll reveals
British families are more concerned about their health than Brexit, a poll has revealed.
A study carried out by Deltapoll found that health is the most important issue facing Britons and their families.
When asked specifically about the issues “facing you and your family”, 38% of respondents said it was their health, compared to just 29% who opted for Britain leaving the European Union.
It follows warnings from an MP last month that Brexit may have “the gravest consequences” for the nation’s health.
Fears have also been expressed about the negative impact Brexit could have on the NHS.
The poll of 2,017 adults was carried out earlier this month and the results were published last week.
It showed that health was the key issue for British families, followed by Brexit and the economy, also with 29%.
Other important issues included pensions (22%), crime (19%) and the environment (16%).
However, when asked about the most important issues “facing the country at this time”, Brexit came out on top with 52%, followed by health on 36%, crime on 34% and immigration and the economy, both on 25%.
Joe Twyman, director of Deltapoll, tweeted: “Public believe Brexit is the most important issue facing the country, but health most important for them and their family.
“Remainers significantly more likely to say Brexit important for them. Fewer than one in six Labour Leavers think Brexit is an important issue for them.”
Public believe Brexit is the most important issue facing the country, but health most important for them and their family. Remainers significantly more likely to say Brexit important for them. Fewer than one in six Labour Leavers think Brexit is an important issue for them. pic.twitter.com/jcmK56oZaa
— Joe Twyman (@JoeTwyman) October 24, 2019
The poll found that, in the event of a general election, 34% believe the Conservatives would be the largest party in a hung parliament, the survey’s most likely foreseen scenario.
Only 6% predict an outright majority for Labour and 16% for the Tories.
If a second referendum on Brexit was held, 40% said they would vote to leave the EU, compared to 49% who would vote to remain.
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The poll’s results are the latest sign of Brexit fatigue among Britons.
Brexit fatigue
In June, a survey carried out by YouGov for the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute found that 35% of Britons actively try to avoid the news because of “frustration over the intractable and polarising nature” of the Brexit debate.
On Monday, the EU agreed to grant a Brexit extension to the UK until January 31, 2020.
European Council president Donald Tusk said the EU would permit a “flextension”, meaning Britain could leave before the deadline of a deal is approved by Parliament.
In the House of Commons, MPs will vote later on a government motion to have a general election on December 12.
NHS ‘lies’
The motion is unlikely to pass because it needs the backing of two-thirds of MPs and Labour has said it will not agree to it unless a no-deal Brexit is ruled out.
Meanwhile, almost half of people think Boris Johnson is failing to tell the truth when it comes to protecting the NHS in a trade deal with the US, according to another survey.
Pollsters Survation found that 45% did not believe Mr Johnson was being honest when he assured the public that the NHS was "not on the table" when UK and US negotiators sit down to thrash out a post-Brexit trade deal.
More than 70% of those quizzed said the NHS should be safeguarded during trade talks.
