UK News

New study suggests two-thirds of Brits support referendum on rejoining the EU

Half of Britons now feel that the UK’s ability to control its own borders - a key pledge for Brexiteers - has become worse as a result

The Manc - 2nd January 2023

A new study released two years after the UK transitioned out of its European Union membership suggests that two-thirds of Brits now support a referendum on rejoining.

The study, compiled by Savanta for The Independent, shows that two in three people in the UK now say they support the idea of a referendum giving the public another say on Brexit.

The number of people who oppose another vote also appears to have fallen sharply, with less than a quarter of voters now against a referendum.

The UK officially left the EU on 31 January 2020, however, it then stayed in the single market until 31 December 2020 as part of a “transition period” that saw it observe Brussels laws.

Since then, people said that they think that the UK’s economy, ability to control our own borders and influence on the world stage have all declined.

It is speculated that these factors have contributed to boosting the number of people who now say they would like the opportunity for a future referendum on membership.

65 percent of those asked said that there should be another vote, up from 55 percent in 2021.

Chris Hopkins, from Savanta, suggested one reason behind the increase could be that many people overestimated the potential benefits of Brexit when they went to the polls in 2016.

“It’s hard to imagine being in the EU would solve any of the country’s current economic issues,” he said, “but perceptions matter.”

Ha also said that some felt that Brexit was “not the taking back of control that all those who voted Leave were promised”, as the perception of many was that leaving the EU had in fact made control of our own borders harder.

In fact, half of Britons felt that the UK’s ability to control its own borders – a key pledge for Brexiteers in 2016 – had actually become worse as a result, rising from 43 percent to 50 percent.

The survey also found that 54 percent of people now felt that leaving the EU was the wrong decision, an increase from the 46 percent who said the same last year.

A government spokesperson said: “We are taking full advantage of the many benefits of Brexit, and are restoring the UK’s status as a sovereign, independent country that determines its own future.

“We have taken back control of our borders, restored domestic control over our law-making and axed numerous pieces of bureaucratic red tape, saving businesses and consumers money across the country.”

Feature image – Flickr