TORY voters back the far-right candidate in the French presidential election who promised to ban the hijab, a new poll has revealed.
Research by YouGov shows her opponent Emmanuel Macron is leading among French voters, enjoying the backing of 54% of those surveyed compared with only 46% for Marine Le Pen, who is standing for the National Rally party.
Among all UK voters, the incumbent French president has a comfortable lead over Le Pen with Britons backing him 37% to 19%.
READ MORE: As France prepares to vote, the fascist threat rears its ugly head again
But 37% of those asked who voted Conservative in 2019 backed Le Pen, while 24% backed Macron.
Who do Britons want to win the French presidential election?
— YouGov (@YouGov) April 15, 2022
All Britons: Macron 37% / Le Pen 19%
Con voters: Macron 24% / Le Pen 37%
Lab voters: Macron 53% / Le Pen 8%https://t.co/L5Ndymp5cF https://t.co/SL1m4JlNT7 pic.twitter.com/dI0ILrJXVm
She has toned down rhetoric on her plans to ban Islamic garb in France if elected, in what is seen as an attempt to make her appear more moderate as polls show Macron in the lead.
Among 2019 Labour voters polled, 53% backed Macron versus 8% who backed Le Pen.
Some 62% of respondents who voted Remain in the Brexit referendum preferred the incumbent to Le Pen – who is Eurosceptic, despite assuring voters she would not take France out of the EU if elected.
Among Leave voters, she took the lead with 35% of respondents preferring her over Macron, who was backed by 19% of UK Brexiters.
READ MORE: Will Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s supporters swing the French election?
France goes to the polls to elect its next president on Sunday, April 24.
Le Pen has pledged to put strict curbs on immigration and to slash the country’s EU contributions.
Macron has described this weekend’s vote as a “referendum on Europe”.
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