A SECOND public vote on Brexit has received far and away the most support amongst readers of The Scottish Farmer in an online poll to identify the best outcome to the current political impasse.

Given the choice of Prime Minister Theresa May's current deal; a new deal yet to be negotiated; exit from the European Union without a formal deal; a second referendum; or a General Election, over 53% of respondents opted for a second Brexit referendum.

However, the next most popular option was exit from the EU with 'no deal', which was backed by just over 30% of the TSF readership sample.

By comparison, the other options attracted little support – Mrs May's current deal and an unspecified 'new' negotiated deal were each backed by under 5% of responses, and a General Election did little better with just over 7% of the sample.

This outcome came as little surprise to most of the industry leaders that The Scottish Farmer asked for comment.

The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association's Angus McCall said: "Most folk I talk to favour a second referendum. The general feeling is that a 'no deal' Brexit would be disastrous for Scottish agriculture and the current government has lost direction and will be incapable of brokering a deal through the parliament.

"The only practical way to put an end the impasse in Westminster is to go back to the electorate and ask whether the UK should carry on with the Brexit project or abandon it. We will need to postpone Article 50 to do this and if the second vote is to carry on and leave, the government will have to go back to Brussels and renegotiate a settlement which will command agreement of a majority of MPs.

"The ship now needs a new rudder and reconditioned engine!" added Mr McCall.

Scottish Land and Estates chairman David Johnstone responded: “There was a wide range of opinion in rural Scotland at the time of the first EU referendum and 30 months on there is equally as intense debate on the best way forward.

"What our businesses need more than anything is clarity and direction, which may or may not be achieved through a second referendum. Above all else, we would urge government and politicians of all hues to recognise that the less time business has to adapt to future arrangements, the more likely it is that employment and the rural economy will be adversely affected.”

Speaking from the Scottish Beef Association, Neil McCorkindale said the result of the TSF poll was not surprising: "So much more is now known about Brexit which clearly was not considered at the referendum. However, the result of a second vote is unlikely to be decisive either.

"The Scottish Government has its own reasons for wanting us to stay in Europe but the doom and gloom from farmers on the NFU LFASS committee when I met with them and Fergus Ewing last week suggests that things are not working as they currently stand.

"Without question the EU will be moving closer to greening and climate change issues with future support payments, and while we should not shy away from our responsibility on those, it will not be good for Scottish livestock production and could spell the end for many."

The National Sheep Association's Scottish chairman John Fyall questioned why the poll had not included a basic 'remain in the EU' option, and speculated that the majority who had favoured a second referendum would have ticked that box had it been offered.

Mr Fyall noted that the Scottish sheep sector had 'always' been aware of the value of the EU market and the emerging picture of likely post-Brexit circumstances would not have changed that. He added, however, that some still saw positives in a 'no-deal' exit, but stressed that would only work if the door to sheepmeat imports was as tightly shut as the door to Scottish sheepmeat exports.

Ahead of the TSF poll, which was answered by 453 readers, campaign group Farmers For Action threw its weight behind a fresh referendum on Brexit.

FFA's Northern Ireland co-ordinator William Taylor said that the UK's political failure to agree a workable Brexit deal was now 'causing hardship and stress for many businesses and people', and the 'commonsense' route out of the current mess was to go back to the people, now that the realities of severing the ties between the UK and the EU were more widely known.