Sky Views: Politicians seen to fail Brexit test

Thursday 5 January 2017 16:56, UK

Robert Nisbet, Senior Political Correspondent

Politicians rarely feature at the top of popular profession lists, but Brexit certainly isn't helping matters.

Our Sky Data polls suggest most of you think the Westminster establishment is failing to cope with the fallout of the referendum vote and are pessimistic that a decent deal will be struck as we leave the EU.

The most eye-opening figure from our survey is that just 11% think the government is doing a good job negotiating the divorce.

That was backed up by our whistle-stop tour of the three constituencies represented by the three leading Brexit-backing Cabinet ministers: David Davis, Boris Johnson and Dr Liam Fox.

Jack Hurst who works in his dad's record shop in Uxbridge, the Foreign Secretary's political stronghold, summed up the feelings of many.

"They've bungled it quite frankly, with Boris Johnson being a major backer of Brexit and then disappearing right afterwards, visibly ageing about twenty years as the vote went through," he told me.

"What was the plan? They didn't seem to have a plan," he added.

The bottom line is this: the process is dismaying committed Brexiteers who want us out as quickly as possible, while frustrating Remainers who think the Government should be applying the brakes.

Add to that the general confusion as to the Government's broad negotiating strategy - if there is one yet - and politicians are judged to be failing the Brexit test.

It could be the inevitable result as guardians of our representative democracy try to wrestle back the reins of the country after last year's explosive exercise in direct democracy.

Despite sustained criticism from several quarters, especially mocking for her vague and meaningless "red, white and blue Brexit" soundbite, Theresa May comes out best.

About 40% thought the Prime Minister would deliver the best deal, with Boris Johnson on 27% and Jeremy Corbyn trailing a distant last with 12%.

Dennis Turner, a retired postman from the Labour stronghold of Hull, which nestles next to Mr Davis's East Riding constituency, was withering about the opposition leader.

"To be in that position you have got to have something about you and I don't think he has. There is something lacking there. He doesn't come across well to the ordinary man on the street," he said.

Image: A Sky Data poll asked: how good or bad a job do you think each of the following would do in negotiating the terms of Brexit with the EU? As well as the responses above, a further 18% said 'neither good nor bad' when asked about Mrs May
Image: Of those polled, 16% also responded 'neither good nor bad'
Image: Another 14% responded 'neither good nor bad'
Image: A further 11% responded 'neither good nor bad'
Image: Another 20% responded 'neither good nor bad'
Image: A further 20% responded 'neither good nor bad'
Image: Of those polled, 14% responded 'neither good nor bad'
Image: Another 19% responded 'neither good nor bad'