Brexit: More voters than ever think leaving EU is a mistake, new opinion poll finds

Just 38 per cent of people now think EU withdrawal is a good idea, survey finds

More voters than ever before think the decision to leave the EU was a mistake, a new poll has found.

Just 38 per cent of people believe the UK was right to vote for Brexit, while almost half (49 per cent) think it was the wrong decision.

The gap is the widest recorded by YouGov since the referendum, while the number believing Brexit was a mistake is at its highest level and those thinking it was right at its lowest.

It comes after Theresa May's government suffered a humiliating three Commons defeats in one day, with MPs finding the government guilty of contempt of Parliament and then voting to give themselves the power to seize control of Brexit if Ms May's deal is rejected.

The prime minister's proposed deal is expected to be voted down by MPs when they vote on it next Tuesday.

In a further blow to the prime minister, the YouGov survey found that a significant majority of voters believe she has not handled Brexit well.

68 per cent of people said the government was negotiating Britain's EU withdrawal badly, compared to just 19 per cent who thought it was doing a good job.

45 per cent said they were opposed to Ms May's deal while only 27 per cent support it.

The latest poll confirms previous surveys that have shown a clear reduction in public support Brexit, boosting calls for the public to be given a fresh referendum.

Despite major Tory divisions over Brexit, the party remains ahead of Labour in the polls.

The YouGov survey for The Times placed the Conservatives on 40 per cent and Labour on 38 per cent.

35 per cent of voters said Ms May was the best choice for prime minister, compared to 24 per cent for Labour's Jeremy Corbyn and 37 per cent opting for neither.