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Northern Labour voters overwhelmingly back the party’s shift towards a new Brexit referendum, a fresh poll has found.

More than 75% of people who voted Labour in 2017 and expressed a preference backed the move, according to a YouGov poll for the People’s Vote campaign.

Some 35%, said the policy change to push for a new Brexit vote made them feel more favourably towards Labour, while 14% said it made them feel less so.

The survey of 5,000 voters across the North, Yorkshire and Humber and the Midlands found that 76% would support staying in the EU, with 24% against.

If it was a choice between Remain and backing Prime Minister Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement, the split would be 81% to 19% in favour of staying in the EU, according to the survey.

Only 14% of those polled wanted their MP to back the Government's proposed terms for leaving the EU.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

And more than two thirds, 68%, said it was more important to maintain frictionless free trade than control immigration, while 17% disagreed with the statement.

Peter Kellner, former president of YouGov, said: "The myth that Labour voters in the party's heartlands favour Brexit is just that - a myth.

"Those who voted Labour in 2017 in the Midlands and North favoured Remain by two-to-one in 2016, support Remain by three-to-one today; and, if given a referendum choice between Remain and Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement, back Remain by four-to-one.

"That explains why such big majorities of these Labour voters want a new public vote and approve of Labour's new policy.

"This survey also suggests that Labour's heartland supporters are less hostile to immigration than is commonly thought."