People who voted Remain may be bringing their spending plans forward in the belief that prices will rise sharply soon

People who voted to remain in the European Union have defied conventional wisdom and gone on more of a spending spree since the referendum than those who elected to leave.

The counterintuitive behaviour was revealed in a survey which found that overall British consumers were still spending robustly and showed little sign of stopping in the short term.

Strong consumer confidence since the referendum has been the key factor in maintaining vigorous economic growth, an outcome that has wrongfooted many economists.

Paradoxically, Remainers have increased their spending by more than Leavers, despite having much more pessimistic views about the impact of Brexit on the economy and job security.

The net balance of Remainers reporting that they had increased their spending was 19 per cent, well