Online Brexit poll: 68% Irish Times readers in UK to vote remain

More than two-thirds of Irish Times readers in the UK who voted in an online poll this week are in favour of the UK remaining in the European Union.

The results come on the eve of the momentous referendum on British membership of the EU on Thursday, with opinion polls in the UK showing the remain and leave sides are neck and neck in the final hours.

Just over 68 per cent of the 1,469 people in the UK who voted in the self-selecting irishtimes.com poll said the UK should remain in the EU.

Almost 30 per cent said the UK should leave, with just under 2 per cent saying they didn’t know, or had no opinion.

The online poll, which ran for five days, attracted 4,471 votes in total. Of the 1,760 votes received from readers in Ireland, 73 per cent said the UK should stay in the EU, while 24 per cent said leave, and 3 per cent had no opinion.

Online votes were received from 71 countries, with the most coming from Ireland and the UK, followed by the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Overall, 69 per cent were in favour of the UK remaining, 29 per cent for leaving, and just over 2 per cent had no opinion.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is among several Irish politicians to appeal to Irish people living in the UK to vote remain in the referendum.Writing in The Guardian newspaper yesterday, Mr Kenny said a vote to remain would benefit the Irish economy by supporting trade between Ireland and the UK; ensure the continuation of good relations between the two countries; and help to support the peace process.

Polling stations will be open from 6am to 9pm on Thursday across the UK. The official result is due sometime after 6am on Friday.