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Support for staying in the European Union has jumped to its highest level since the 2016 referendum in the wake of the crushing Commons defeat for Theresa May’s deal.

A new YouGov poll reveals 56 per cent of voters would choose Remain if given the chance in a fresh referendum. Only 44 per cent said they would vote Leave. The 12-point lead for Remain is a big increase from eight points at the end of last year, and will be seen as evidence that voters are losing confidence in Brexit.

It is three times as big as the four-point margin that Leave secured in the 2016 referendum to commit Britain to quitting the EU. Support has also grown for a second referendum, found YouGov’s survey of 1,000 adults, which was commissioned by the People’s Vote campaign but conducted independently.

Some 47 per cent of the public back a new vote, or 56 per cent for and 44 against after excluding don’t knows.

The snap poll was conducted after Tuesday night’s record-breaking Commons vote against Mrs May’s withdrawal blueprint, which was crushed by 432 votes to 202.

Last night the Prime Minister managed to unite the Tories and her on-off Democratic Unionist Party allies to resist a Labour motion of no confidence by 325 votes to 306. Labour MP Chuka Umunna, a leading supporter of the People’s Vote campaign, urged party leader Jeremy Corbyn to read the results and back a referendum.

“This snap poll shows more than ever why the Government needs to change course and hand this decision on Brexit back to the people,” he said.

“The poll also underlines why the leadership of my party needs to listen to Labour’s own supporters, more than three-quarters of whom are demanding a People’s Vote. To ignore those calls now would be an historic mistake for which Labour would not be forgiven.”

Scottish Secretary David Mundell effectively ruled out holding a second referendum today, despite the Prime Minister offering talks with other parties aimed at finding a consensus.

“She’s not going down a route to stop Brexit,” he said, saying the talks were only designed to produce “an orderly Brexit” route. “Everything is up for discussion but what isn’t going to be an outcome is arrangements that seek to stop Brexit, which I believe the People’s Vote is designed to do.”

But the Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable both used talks to push for a referendum.

Brexit: Meaningful Vote - In Pictures 29 show all Brexit: Meaningful Vote - In Pictures 1/29 A Leaver and a pro-European demonstrator argue during protests opposite the Houses of Parliament in London AP 2/29 A police officer extinguishes a flag that was set alight by pro-Brexit protestors outside the Houses of Parliament PA 3/29 An anti-Brexit protester dressed in a Theresa May costume recreates a scene from the 1997 film 'Titanic, EPA 4/29 Pro Brexit supporters outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 5/29 PA 6/29 John Bercow speaks in the House of Commons Sky News 7/29 Pro-Brexit protestors outside the Houses of Parliament, London PA 8/29 Prime Minister Theresa May listens to the Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox, speak in the House of Commons ahead of the Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 9/29 Pro Brexit supporters outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 10/29 Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in London Reuters 11/29 Effigies of Prime Minister Theresa May, former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, current Environment Secretary Michael Gove and former Brexit secretary David Davis, are driven past the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 12/29 Former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab, Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster, Conservative Peer Lord Lilley and former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis speak to the media during a press conference to offer an alternative Brexit plan Getty Images 13/29 Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg speaks to the media outside the Palace of Westminster Getty Images 14/29 Pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters 15/29 Former leader of UKIP Nigel Farage speaks to the media as Pro-Brexit and Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters 16/29 Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray outside the Houses of Parliament, London PA 17/29 Pro EU protesters and Pro Leave protesters demonstrate outside Parliament EPA 18/29 A man dressed to imitate former foreign secretary Boris Johnson holds a fake bank note for 350 million pounds outside the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images 19/29 A pro-Brexit 'battle bus' (L) drives past a mix of pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images 20/29 Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray (left) talks with a Brexiteer outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 21/29 A pro-European demonstrator sings during a protest opposite the Houses of Parliament AP 22/29 Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes leaves 10 Downing Street, London, following a cabinet meeting, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 23/29 Anti-Brexit and Pro-Brexit protesters fly flags outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 24/29 Theresa May leaves a cabinet meeting at Downing Street AP 25/29 A pro remain supporter wears anti brexit badges on his hat, during protests outside of the Parliament EPA 26/29 Anti and pro Brexit placards are displayed outside of the Parliament EPA 27/29 Anti-Brexit supporters hold up placards outside Parliament AFP/Getty Images 28/29 Anti-Brexit demonstrators hold up placards outside Parliament AFP/Getty Images 29/29 Pro-Brexit supporters hold up placards outside Parliament AFP/Getty Images 1/29 A Leaver and a pro-European demonstrator argue during protests opposite the Houses of Parliament in London AP 2/29 A police officer extinguishes a flag that was set alight by pro-Brexit protestors outside the Houses of Parliament PA 3/29 An anti-Brexit protester dressed in a Theresa May costume recreates a scene from the 1997 film 'Titanic, EPA 4/29 Pro Brexit supporters outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 5/29 PA 6/29 John Bercow speaks in the House of Commons Sky News 7/29 Pro-Brexit protestors outside the Houses of Parliament, London PA 8/29 Prime Minister Theresa May listens to the Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox, speak in the House of Commons ahead of the Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 9/29 Pro Brexit supporters outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 10/29 Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in London Reuters 11/29 Effigies of Prime Minister Theresa May, former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, current Environment Secretary Michael Gove and former Brexit secretary David Davis, are driven past the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 12/29 Former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab, Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster, Conservative Peer Lord Lilley and former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis speak to the media during a press conference to offer an alternative Brexit plan Getty Images 13/29 Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg speaks to the media outside the Palace of Westminster Getty Images 14/29 Pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters 15/29 Former leader of UKIP Nigel Farage speaks to the media as Pro-Brexit and Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters 16/29 Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray outside the Houses of Parliament, London PA 17/29 Pro EU protesters and Pro Leave protesters demonstrate outside Parliament EPA 18/29 A man dressed to imitate former foreign secretary Boris Johnson holds a fake bank note for 350 million pounds outside the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images 19/29 A pro-Brexit 'battle bus' (L) drives past a mix of pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images 20/29 Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray (left) talks with a Brexiteer outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 21/29 A pro-European demonstrator sings during a protest opposite the Houses of Parliament AP 22/29 Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes leaves 10 Downing Street, London, following a cabinet meeting, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 23/29 Anti-Brexit and Pro-Brexit protesters fly flags outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal PA 24/29 Theresa May leaves a cabinet meeting at Downing Street AP 25/29 A pro remain supporter wears anti brexit badges on his hat, during protests outside of the Parliament EPA 26/29 Anti and pro Brexit placards are displayed outside of the Parliament EPA 27/29 Anti-Brexit supporters hold up placards outside Parliament AFP/Getty Images 28/29 Anti-Brexit demonstrators hold up placards outside Parliament AFP/Getty Images 29/29 Pro-Brexit supporters hold up placards outside Parliament AFP/Getty Images

Conservative supporters of a second EU referendum this morning launched a “Right to Vote” campaign in an attempt to push Mrs May into holding a re-run of the 2016 plebiscite.

Former minister Phillip Lee, who quit last year to campaign against Brexit, claimed Tory support for a fresh poll was “underestimated” and “growing fast”. “I know from private conversations at Parliament that backing among my colleagues for a referendum is there and is growing fast,” he said.More than 170 leading figures, including architect Lord Foster and Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse,have called for Mrs May and Mr Corbyn to back a second referendum.