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London — A decade after the UK’s referendum vote leading to Brexit from the European Union (EU), a majority of Britons now view leaving the bloc as a mistake, according to recent YouGov survey findings.
“Brexit has been an absolute disaster for the country,” one pro-EU campaigner told France 24 on Monday, the eve of the referendum anniversary. “Not just economically, but loss of freedom of movement, families being split up.”
The U.K. has faced political turmoil since the vote, with seven prime ministers in the last decade struggling to manage Brexit fallout and its economic impact, exacerbated by COVID-19, wars in Ukraine, and the Middle East.
Leaving the EU reduced British productivity, imports, and exports, according to the Office for Budgetary Responsibility, while government data analysis shows a 6% economic hit from Brexit.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who campaigned to remain in the EU, recently stated that consequences are worse than feared. Two-thirds of those who voted for Brexit still stand by their choice, with 30% of YouGov-polled Britons believing the U.K. was right to leave.
Many supporters argue the exit was poorly handled by successive governments and politicians overseeing transition, not the move itself. Nigel Farage, a key architect of Brexit and leader of Reform UK party, said it was “absolutely the right thing to do,” citing establishment resistance to the ‘Leave’ vote.
A major promise of the Vote Leave campaign was Britain taking back control of its borders and curb EU migration. However, labor shortages post-Brexit led then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ease restrictions, causing non-EU migration spikes.
Simon Boyd, a steel manufacturer who campaigned for Brexit, expressed disappointment but emphasized moving forward with opportunities. Rejoining the EU would “be akin to getting back on the Titanic while handing over your life vest first.”
Public opinion has shifted significantly since 2016, when Leave won with 51.9% of votes (17.4 million). Six million people in the U.K. have died since Brexit, and two-thirds of those over 65 backed leaving the EU.
Three fifths of Gen Z Brits want a new referendum on EU membership, according to More in Common think tank polling, while half of respondents overall favor some form of rejoining the EU. Despite this, few politicians are willing to table another referendum idea.
The presumptive next prime minister, Andy Burnham, hoped Britain would rejoin the EU during his lifetime but indicated no immediate plans for a new referendum.”