Boris Johnson's push to diverge from EU regulations lacks public support, polling expert says

Boris Johnson’s push to diverge from key EU regulations in the Brexit trade talks is not as popular among the public as the government assumes, according to polling guru professor John Curtice.

His remarks come after the prime minister outlined his priorities for the imminent negotiations, suggesting on Monday there was “no need” for a free trade treaty to compel the UK to adhere to Brussels’ regulations.

Sir John also suggested Mr Johnson’s decisive election victory did not represent a national endorsement of Brexit. Rather, it showed the Conservatives has successfully united Leave supporters while the Remain vote was “fragmented”.

Speaking on Tuesday, the academic presented polls showing the majority of the public support keeping key EU rules such as mobile roaming and flight compensation regulations post-Brexit.

The most recent poll – on maintaining EU mobile roaming charge rules – in September 2019 showed 72 per cent of all voters supported keeping the regulation, including 65 per cent of those who voted Leave.

“Certainly the idea that we are necessarily always looking to diverge, at least in area like this that has a direct impact on consumers, is perhaps an area where you might think the government would be wise to have a degree of pause of thought,” he said.

“For the most part, the issue of regulation is not necessarily one that particularly exercises Leave voters. They are not quite as keen on the idea that we should follow European Union regulations.

“But even so, around two-thirds of them on mobile phone roaming and on flight compensation, say yes we should follow the European Union rules. The division here is not so stark. I’ve got lots of other questions and similarly got the same thing.”

On the de-regulation of food standards after Brexit, the polling expert also prevented evidence that both Leave and Remain voters did not want to allow chlorinated chicken and hormone treated beef into the UK market – something the US has floated.

“We simply asked people should these be allowed to be sold in the UK after the Brexit and very few people said yes,” Sir John added.

“Again, Leave voters are not desperate to see de-regulation here either. Our perceptions as consumers, at least, is one where it is not as clear that the mood to diverge and certainly to de-regulate is perhaps as strong as the impression the government seem to be giving.”

Sir John also said there was no guarantee that the “collective outcome” of the 2019 general election was evidence that a majority of the British public were in favour of pursuing Brexit.

He said: “We know from opinion polls that 52 per cent are in favour of Remain — 48 per cent are in favour of Leave. That is broadly reflected in the outcome of the election. Around 47 per cent of the vote went to parties in favour of Brexit, around 52 per cent went for parties that are in one way or another in favour of a second referendum.

“The outcome is therefore not a function of any marked change in public attitudes. It’s not a function of any clear evidence that this country had finalised the Brexit that it wanted. It’s a function of the differential concentration of Leave support in the Conservative party as opposed to the fragmentation of the Remain vote.

“We are still looking at a country that is divided very much down the middle on the issue of Brexit."