A major study by the UK in a Changing Europe think tank and pollsters Public First lays bare ‘bregrets’ seven years after Britain voted to leave the EU
Just one in five Leave voters believes Brexit has gone well, a poll shows as the country marks seven years since the bitter referendum.
Friday is the anniversary of the 2016 vote to quit the EU, when voters backed quitting the bloc by 52% to 48%.
But a major study by pollsters Public First for the UK in a Changing Europe think tank revealed how those who backed withdrawal feel about how it has been handled.
Only 18% of Leavers feel Brexit has gone “well” or “very well”, with 30% saying it has “neither turned out well or badly” and 26% warning it is “too soon to say”.
Some 29% who would continue the UK’s exile from the EU think Brexit has had a negative economic impact, compared with 67% of those Leavers who have switched to Remain.
Some 63% of Leave voters who believe it is going badly lay the blame on ministers, saying “UK politicians were ineffective and failed to get a good deal”.
Half say Britain gave in too much to EU demands during marathon withdrawal negotiations and 42% accuse the EU of “being hostile towards us” in crunch talks.
UK in a Changing Europe director Anand Menon said: “While very few people think Brexit is going well, a large number of Leavers also believe it is still too soon to make a definitive judgment.
“Many Leave voters believe Brexit has not been a success because politicians have let them down.
“The danger is that this will lead to an erosion of faith in politics and politicians.”
A second referendum is backed by less than half the public, with 44% supporting another poll and 33% against.
Two-thirds of Leavers are opposed to a rerun.
Among all voters, 48% would go back into the EU, while 32% would stay out.
Among Brexiteers who think it is going badly, 40% would vote to rejoin the bloc while 30% want to stay outside.
Thirteen per cent would not vote at all.
The study also showed the sense of betrayal Leave voters feel.
Some 77% feel politicians “generally act in their own interests rather than the interests of the public” – a higher proportion of the public than felt that way overall, at 73%.
However, Leave and Remain voters were united in their verdict on rulers.
Some 78% of Brexiteers and 79% of Remainers said they had “lost faith in UK politicians in recent years”.
Writing exclusively for mirror.co.uk, Mr Menon and UK in a Changing Europe researcher Sophie Stowers say: “To some extent at least, the referendum outcome was a ‘howl of protest’ by those dissatisfied with the state of the country.
“Consequently, those who lacked trust in political elites were more likely to vote Leave.
“However, any new faith engendered by the vote has been squandered.
“In part, this was a result of the way the Brexit process unfolded.”
Public First’s founding partner Rachel Wolf said: “Few think Brexit has gone well, but was that inevitable?
“Leave voters, by and large, don’t think so. People like (Nigel) Farage are playing into a more general view that politicians messed it up.
“On the other hand, people are not exactly keen to keep talking about Brexit.
“‘Get Brexit done’ – ie, make it go away and stop talking about it – still works.”
Public First quizzed 2,005 voters online between May 26 and June 2.
Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party claimed Brexit meant Britain was in “long-term decline”.
Deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black said: “The UK is on a path to long-term decline, as Brexit reduces trade and economic growth, harms the NHS and key industries with staffing shortages, and pushes up costs for businesses and consumers – fuelling the cost-of-living crisis hammering the UK.”
Quizzed about Brexit’s economic impact at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak insisted: “We have actually grown faster than France and Italy since we left the Single Market.”
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