Brexiteers swiftly closing in on Remain as poll reveals there’s just one point between the two sides
EU referendum result is still wide open with four million people trying to make up their mind in the last week
REMAIN’S double digit lead over Leave has been dramatically slashed to just one point as EU referendum campaigning enters its final week, a dramatic poll has revealed.
An exclusive ComRes survey for The Sun tonight put support for staying in the EU at just 46%, with backing for Brexit up to 45%.
Last month, David Cameron’s pro-EU coalition enjoyed a thumping 11 point lead, of 52% to 41%.
In a hammer blow to the PM, the survey of 1,002 voters by highly respected ComRes is the company’s worst ever showing for Remain since its polling began on the referendum 13 months ago.
And it revealed the race is now on a knife edge as both campaigns enter their final frantic week tomorrow ahead of the landmark poll next Thursday.
Our survey is the latest in a series of disastrous polls for the Remain campaign in the last few days as Brexiteers swiftly close the once wide gap.
Once don’t knows stripped out, a Remain vote on June 23 is still ahead by a slither, by 51% to 49%.
The poll also reveals how much immigration has soared as an issue.
Almost as many Brits say they are concerned about the number of EU migrants coming into the UK - 47% - as the ones who fear what will happen to the economy under a Brexit, 49%.
More voters also now believe Vote Leave’s key claim that Turkey will join the EU in the next 10 years - 58% - than pro-EU George Osborne’s warning that we’ll see a recession under Brexit, stated by 49%.
We also asked voters how much economic pain they were prepared to suffer to break free of Brussels control.
In a contradictory finding, three in five Brits - 61% - say that they would be willing to accept a short term economic slowdown in order to see EU immigration controls tightened, which Brexit would allow.
But a significant majority of more than two thirds - 68% - at the same time insist they are not willing to lose any cash at all personally to reduce the number of migrants coming in from Europe.
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Only 6% say they would only be happy to lose up to £1-£50 a year to see limits, 5% put the figure at £50-100, 3% at £100-250, 4% at £250-500, and 5% at £500-1000.
But almost one in 10 - 9% of voters – feel so passionately about controlling immigration that they would be happy to lost £1000 a year or more.
The ComRes survey was also carried out over the telephone instead of the internet, which has traditionally produced more favourable results for an In vote.
Despite the late hour, it also revealed 9% of all Brits also still say they don’t know how they’ll vote a week on Thursday.
That leaves the result wide open, as four million people try to make up their mind in the last week.
Women are more undecided than men, by 12% to 8%.
And the 53-44 year-olds are the key age group battle ground, with 12% of them also still undecided.
Meanwhile the views of the young and old are much firmer, with just 8% of the over 65s still not sure, and only 7% of 18-24s undecided now.
It also found voters are split down the middle on whether the EU overall has more positives (49%) than negatives (48%).
The referendum fight itself has not been popular, ComRes also found.
More than half - 54% - say it has been bad for British politics, while 41% think it has been good for it.
ComRes Director of Political Polling Tom Mludzinski said: “There has evidently been a significant move in the last few weeks.
“We had seen Remain holding a comfortable lead but after the debates and the agenda switching to immigration it has narrowed the gap with Leave now in touching distance.
“The final week will be crucial in deciding this result with both sides trying to motivate their core voters and battling over the final undecideds – who are more likely to be women than men.”
A second poll by TNS today gave Leave a seven point lead over Remain by 47% versus 40%, and 13% still undecided.