More voters would opt to stay in the European Union if there was a fresh referendum than accept Theresa May’s Brexit deal, a new poll shows.

As the prime minister steps up efforts to sell her blueprint, a survey found that 46 per cent of people would prefer to remain in the bloc compared to 37 per cent who would choose Ms May's deal, if asked to pick in a new public vote.

The Survation poll, for the Daily Mail, also found that half of voters would opt to stay in the EU compared to 40 per cent who would support a no-deal, if those were the two options on the ballot paper.

Some 48 per cent would back offering the people a final say on the prime minister's Brexit deal - which The Independent is campaigning for - while around a third of voters (34 per cent) would oppose a fresh vote, the snap poll on Tuesday found.

Voters appear to have shifted towards Ms May's deal, with 37 per cent backing it, compared to 35 per cent opposing it. This compared to 27 per cent backing it and 49 per cent opposing it in a similar poll on November 15,

In a boost for the prime minister, some 41 per cent believe MPs should back the deal, while 38 per cent think they should vote it down.

It comes as the government was expected to publish stark economic analysis of the prime minister’s Brexit deal, as Ms May steps up her efforts to sell the blueprint to the public.

Whitehall officials have scrutinised the economic impact of Ms May’s deal and compared it to various scenarios, including staying in the EU or a Canada-style free trade deal - the Brexiteers’ preferred option.

The prime minister is likely to use to findings to persuade MPs to back her plan in a crunch Commons vote in two weeks time, where she is facing defeat at the hands of Tory rebels in both Brexiteer and pro-EU factions.

Asked directly if the UK will be poorer under Mrs May's deal, Mr Hammond said: "The economy will be slightly smaller in the prime minister's preferred version of the future partnership."

The chancellor said analysis published today looks at the next 15 years, and shows the impact on the economy will be "very small", insisting it will still grow in that period.

But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm the Chancellor so of course I look at the economy as being of overriding importance, but there are other considerations.

Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Show all 13 1 /13 Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Esther McVey Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrives to attend the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in London. - Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the cabinet over draft Brexit deal AFP/Getty Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @EstherMcVey1 of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Works and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Ms McVey has resigned, saying the Brexit deal âdoes not honour the result of the referendumâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @DominicRaab/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Dominic Raab British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab give a press conference at the end of the final round of talks in Brexit negotiations at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium EPA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @DominicRaab of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Mr Raab has resigned, saying he âcannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EUâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @DominicRaab/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Rehman Chrishti Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party Rehman Chrishti tendered his resignation letter this afternoon PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Anne-Marie Trevelyan Parliamentary private secretary in the Department of Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan resigned stating that she cannot support the deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @annietrev of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Anne-Marie Trevelyan, a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Education. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Ms Trevelyan has resigned saying she cannot support the Brexit deal after negotiations âbuilt on the UK trying to appease the EUâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @annietrev/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Sam Gyimah Universities minister Sam Gyimah resigned on November 30, claiming the government's decision to pull out of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system as a deciding factor PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Shailesh Vara Shailesh Vara who has quit as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Theresa May's Brexit agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation" PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Suella Braverman Brexit minister Suella Braverman has resigned, stating “It is not what the British people, or my constituents, voted for in 2016.” Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Ranil Jayawardena Parliamentary private secretary to the ministry of justice Ranil Jayawardena resigned as he could not back the deal "in good conscience"

"And I recognise that many people feel very strongly about the need to leave the European Union to regain control of our fishing waters, to regain control of migration and control of our borders, to have the right to do third-country trade deals.

"These are things which have value to people, and it is true that the economy will be very slightly smaller if we do the deal the way the Prime Minister has set out and negotiated, but the impact will be entirely manageable."

Asked if the UK would be better off staying in the EU, he agreed that remaining in the single market "purely on the economics" would give the country an advantage.