The deputy leader of the Labour party today called on Londoners to “stand up and be counted” in the EU referendum or risk the country sleepwalking out of Europe.
Tom Watson said people in the capital, who are more likely to back EU membership, could not be complacent about the result and had to ensure they voted on June 23.
A poll for the Standard by Opinium found a majority of adults in London backing the UK’s EU membership.
Mr Watson’s intervention follows fears by others that a low turnout could see Brexiteers triumph in the referendum. The deputy Labour leader described the capital as an “international city that has always looked outwards”.
“But they have to stand up and be counted on June 23,” he went on. “I’m calling on all Londoners who believe we should continue to play a full part in Europe and the world to get out and vote to remain in June. We can’t sleepwalk out of Europe.”
The Opinium poll published today asked how more than 1,000 Londoners would vote if a referendum were held tomorrow.
It found 51 per cent backed staying in the European Union while 35 per cent said the country should leave.
Opinium conducted 1,015 online interviews with London adults from March 30 to April 3. Data are weighted.
