BREXIT has severely damaged the Irish population's view of the UK, according to a new Sky Data poll.
The poll of 1,611 Irish Sky customers shows that 66% of people in the country have a less favourable view of the UK than before the Brexit referendum in June 2016, with just 26% saying it made no difference.
Just under half of Irish people (49%) also have a less favourable view of Northern Irish unionists due to Brexit, while an overwhelming majority (79%) think the Irish Government should hold their ground on the Brexit backstop to ensure there will be no hard border on the island of Ireland – even if it risks a no-deal Brexit.
#Brexit appears to have affected 🇮🇪🇬🇧 relations
🔴 66% of Irish now have less favourable view of UK (26% say no difference)
🔴 81% would cut economic ties with UK rather than EU
🔴 64% support #UnitedIreland (16% oppose) pic.twitter.com/OKYK8fb7g8— Stephen Murphy (@SMurphyTV) February 8, 2019
Just 7% of Irish adults think their Government should prioritise avoiding a no-deal Brexit, the poll also shows.
There is also a significant deal of satisfaction among Irish people over how their politicians have handled Brexit.
Six in 10 (60%) think the Government has done a good job, with just 17% saying it has done poorly.
By contrast, a vast majority think the British Government has handled negotiations badly – 84% believe it has done a bad job, compared to just 6% on the opposite side of the fence.
New @skydata poll:
🔴 overwhelming 79% of Irish back the backstop EVEN if it risks no-deal #Brexit
🔴 60% think Irish govt doing good job on Brexit
🔴 73% say no-deal bad for Ireland pic.twitter.com/PvfuTzgliH— Stephen Murphy (@SMurphyTV) February 8, 2019
Elsewhere, some 44% think Brexit would be bad with a deal – rising to 73% in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
If they had to choose, over eight in 10 Irish people (81%) would cut economic ties with the UK rather than with the EU (19%).
The poll's release on Friday morning came ahead of the arrival of UK Prime Minister Theresa May in Dublin ahead of talks with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Mr Varadkar is expected to inform her that the Irish Government's position on the Brexit border backstop has not changed.
