Leaving the EU was finalised on January 31, 2020, after the 2016 Brexit referendum, where the Leave vote won by a slim margin. A recent survey indicates that most British citizens consider this decision a big mistake. Support for Brexit is gradually dwindling.
Britain’s big mistake in leaving the European Union
The survey outcomes reflecting British sentiments regarding the EU departure are overwhelmingly unfavourable. In a YouGov survey, 56% of participants believed that leaving the European Union was a mistake, while 31% maintained that Brexit was the correct course of action. The findings further reveal that 62% of those surveyed regarded Brexit as a “major failure,” with only 9% perceiving it as a “success.”
Mismanagement of the UK government in Brexit
An additional 20% characterised it as a neutral action, while 9% responded with “I don’t know.” Furthermore, YouGov’s findings indicate that 72% of respondents feel the UK government should improve its handling of Brexit. In light of these survey results, it is evident that a significant portion of the British population regrets the decision to leave the EU.
Application for re-membership in the European Union
Survey results on British views regarding EU departure show that the British want their country’s re-membership in this Union. More than two-thirds of Britons want a vote to rejoin the European Union, according to a new poll published by The Independent. More than half of the respondents described the decision to leave this bloc as a big mistake. The survey showed that 65% of respondents want a new vote, 10% more than last year.
Disagreement about the timing of the referendum
Survey results on British views regarding EU departure show that Brexit is becoming more hated among them daily. However, public opinion is divided on when such a referendum should be held; 22% said it should be held now, and 24% believe it should be held in the next five years. Less favoured opinions include voting in the next six to ten years (11%) and voting in more than 20 years (4%).
Reducing the opposition to rejoining the UK in the EU
At the same time, the number of people opposed to a second vote for membership in the European Union has decreased from 32% to 24%. The poll also shows Britons have a more negative view of the consequences of Brexit, with 54% of respondents saying leaving the EU would be a wrong decision, up from 46% last year.
The damage of Brexit to the economy and the global influence of the UK
The impact of leaving the European Union on the UK’s standing has been completely negative. This view stems from the public belief that the British economy and its global influence have been damaged by the landmark decision to leave the European Union. A majority of 56% of respondents said leaving the EU would worsen the economy, up from 44% last year. Half of them also think Britain’s influence on the international scene has decreased compared to the previous year, which fell by only 39%.
The opposing view of the Britons about border control
Additionally, respondents have a negative view of the changes Brexit has brought to the country’s ability to control its borders, with 50 per cent saying it has worsened. Swati Dhingra, a foreign member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, explained in November that Brexit had increased UK food prices by 6%, costing British workers about 2.6% of their wages. According to Dhingra, exiting the European Union has also reduced business investment and overall trade.
The majority of Britons hate Brexit.
Economic problems caused by Brexit, including in the procurement and delivery of goods in the UK, have caused many English people to regret their country’s exit from the European Union. Logistics and delivery problems across the country have made Brexit unpopular in the UK. Polls show that 57% of Britons now regret leaving the EU. However, there won’t be a comeback anytime soon.
Brexit is a big mistake in British history
According to polls, most Britons now see Brexit as a big mistake. John Curtice, a political science expert, said: “Britain has changed hugely since 2016.” In this situation, the head of the British Polling Council, an association of polling institutions in the UK, has predicted the defeat of the ruling Conservative Party in the next general election.
Conflicts between London and Brussels after Brexit
Disputes about Brexit continued between London and Brussels after its implementation. After leaving the European Union and the single market of this region, the UK has faced severe problems in sending goods to Northern Ireland, which is part of its territory but is subject to EU trade rules and has repeatedly requested renegotiations of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Business problems of British companies after Brexit
According to research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), more than half (56%) of companies doing business with the European Union said they faced problems complying with the new rules for exporting goods. Meanwhile, 45 per cent reported difficulties in the field of service trade. According to this report, 77% of the companies that trade under this agreement said it did not help increase their sales or development.
Brexit supporters in the minority
Brexiteers are in the minority in the current situation. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 51.9% of participants voted to leave the EU and 48.1% voted to remain in the EU. Brexit supporters are now in the minority, according to polls. Accordingly, only around 43% of Britons believe the decision was right, while 57% regret leaving the EU.
The divide between supporters and opponents of Brexit
Curtice noted that this polling trend has been noticeable since the autumn of 2021. During that time, a shortage of lorry drivers, resulting in logistics and delivery disruptions across the country, brought the consequences of Brexit into sharp focus for the British populace. With the increasing cost of living, the divide between Brexit supporters and those who believe leaving the EU was a significant error has expanded since the beginning of the year.
Nevertheless, Curtice indicated that the opposition Labour Party plans to wait to initiate a debate about rejoining the EU or returning to the EU single market until just before the next election to influence voters. The ruling Conservatives are trailing behind Labour in the polls due to recent government disarray. Nonetheless, the conservatives will face a challenging situation ahead.
British distrust of conservatives
According to Britons, evaluation of the weakened Union due to Brexit shows that during the past years, conservatives have not been able to manage the consequences of Brexit successfully. People think that conservatives can no longer be trusted to lead the country. The UK could have had a better time in the post-Brexit era and faced many issues and problems, especially in the economic field.
Brexit is the cause of various problems for the people
As inflation in the country reaches its highest level in the past fifty years, contemporary British citizens increasingly recognise the perceived ineffectiveness of Brexit. The most recent survey results underscore that a significant portion of the population in the United Kingdom laments the decision to leave the European Union and expresses a desire to rejoin. While the UK government attributes the dire economic situation to the Ukraine conflict, most economic experts contend that Brexit is the primary driver behind the current economic challenges.
