Majority of Brits think PM will not get good Brexit deal

Prime minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street, Westminster, London. - Credit: PA

More than 50% of Britons do not believe Boris Johnson will negotiate a good Brexit deal with the EU, a poll has revealed.

A survey by Ipsos MORI found that 58% of the public think Britain will not receive a good Brexit deal, the Evening Standard has reported.

Just 26% think the government is well-prepared for a no-deal Brexit while 63% say ministers have done a bad job.

However, confidence in Boris Johnson bagging a good deal has risen with 40% believing he will get compared with 30% in September 2019.

The poll comes as cabinet office minister Michael Gove travels to Brussels for the latest round of Brexit negotiations where issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol is expected to be discussed.

Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he is “not optimistic” that a trade deal will be struck. He said the UK’s Internal Market Bill enabling the UK to break international law had “eroded trust”.

When asked who should be blamed for talks failing, 44% said the UK government while 40% pointed the finger of blame towards Brussels. This marks a shift in attitudes from earlier this year when only 32% blamed the EU and 48% Downing Street.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: “Britons are still pretty pessimistic about the prospects of getting a good deal from the Brexit negotiations, and the preparations for a no deal if we don’t.

“However, there is more optimism than last year – mainly among the prime minister’s own supporters, who have also become more likely to blame the EU if no deal is reached by the end of transition, suggesting since the election he has succeeded in getting them behind his approach.”

Downing Street on Friday dropped suggestions that Brussels was threatening to block food exports from Britain to Northern Ireland after the EU gave clarity on its position.

Asked about a report suggesting Downing Street was growing optimistic that a deal could be reached, a spokesman said: “We’ve had useful exchanges with the EU over the past couple of weeks and progress has been made in certain areas.”

There are fewer than 100 days until the end of the Brexit transition period. If both sides fail to reach a deal by then, Britain would be forced to trade with its biggest partner on World Trade Organization terms.

Ministers have warned of 7,000 truck-long queues in Kent after the Brexit transition period ends as a worst-case scenario if hauliers fail to prepare for changes to customs rules.