AN overwhelming majority of voters back holding a second referendum on leaving the EU.

Increasing numbers of people from both side of the debate want a second say on Brexit, with 47 per cent supporting holding another referendum once the terms of exit become clear.

Just 34 per cent oppose going back to the ballot boxes, a nationwide Guardian/ICM poll shows, leaving a 16-point margin in favour of a second vote once undecideds are excluded.

The bombshell survey comes as David Davis sought to play down continuing splits within the UK Government over its approach to Brexit.

The Brexit Secretary said there was “no difference” between what he and Chancellor Philip Hammond wanted in terms of leaving the EU.

Mr Hammond had attracted the ire of the Tory backbench after suggesting there may only be "modest" divergence from the EU after Brexit.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said: "We've got to stick to the middle way – which is negotiating the maximum access we can get to European markets."

But Eurosceptic Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg accused UK negotiators of being “cowed by the EU”, and insisted close alignment after Brexit would not be acceptable.

The Guardian/ICM poll of more than 5,000 people found 51 per cent now backed Remain, with 43 per cent of voters worried Brexit will have a negative impact on the economy.

Meanwhile, 9 per cent of Labour voters said they had shifted position to back staying in the EU, while older people were much more likely to favour Brexit.

It also highlighted growing geographical divides that could play into the debate over a second independence referendum, with 63 per cent of Scots backing Remain if another vote was held tomorrow – significantly more than in England and Wales.

Just under 52 per cent of those who voted in 2016’s EU referendum backed a Leave vote.

In a speech yesterday, Mr Davis insisted the UK will be able to negotiate its own trade deals “for the first time in more than 40 years” immediately after leaving the EU.

He said a "vital aspect" of the two-year implementation period following March 2019 would be the UK's ability to strike its own agreements.

Highlighting the growth in trade with countries including China and Brazil, he said: "These are the future. We will be able to build on this in coming years."

He acknowledged that in the implementation period "we will replicate the effects of the EU customs union" including new rights and obligations.

But he added: "Participating in a customs union should not and will not preclude us from formally negotiating and indeed signing independent trade agreements – although of course they will not enter into force until the implementation period has ended."

Mr Davis claimed that a post-Brexit UK will "kick start a new global race to the top in quality and standards".

And he insisted Mr Hammond had simply been making the point that little would change during the transition period after Britain left the EU when he made his controversial comments earlier in the week.

He said: "At the beginning when we are out, there will be very, very little initial difference between the standards that apply in our country and on the continent of Europe and access to the markets will continue with very little disruption. That's the point he was driving at.

"There is no difference between the Chancellor and myself and indeed the Prime Minister in terms that we both want a Brexit that serves the British economy and serves the British people.

"There will be arguments about the tactics but they will change, the options available to us will change throughout the course of the negotiations."

Mr Davis described the two-year implementation period as "the bridge that we plan to build to smooth the path to our new relationship with the European Union after Brexit".

SNP MSP Stuart McMillan said membership of the single marker was crucial to protect jobs and living standards.

He said: “The Tories are putting their right-wing obsessions ahead of jobs and living standards – and ordinary people across the country will pay the price of the mess they’re making.

“Single market membership is absolutely crucial to protecting the jobs, incomes, and hard-won rights of millions of people across Scotland and the UK – with analysis showing that leaving the single market could cost Scotland 80,000 jobs and hit the economy to the tune of £12.7bn a year by 2030.

“It’s time for the Tories and Labour to take us back from the brink and back single market membership.”