EU referendum 2017: British support for a Brexit is at its highest since 2012
A new poll has shown the number of Brits who want to leave the European Union is on the rise, as immigration becomes an increasingly topical issue.
Pollster Ipsos Mori said yesterday that British support for an exit has risen to 39 per cent, the highest level since 2012, up from 27 per cent in June.
However, most Brits remain in favour of staying in the EU, with 52 per cent saying they would vote "yes" – although this marks a decrease from a record high of 61 per cent in June.
"We know immigration has been the big issue over the summer and that has been partly driven by all the stories about migration from Syria and other places into Europe and the refugee crisis," Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos Mori, told Reuters.
"This is part of what is driving this."
It comes as Prime Minister David Cameron is trying to renegotiate relations with the bloc, ahead of an "in/out" referendum on membership by the end of 2017.