Young Britons want a referendum to rejoin the EU
Key Points
- Britons who are of working age are more likely than not to support a referendum on rejoining the EU in the next five years, according to polling by More in Common.
- Of those below the age of 44, there is a significant majority who would want a referendum on rejoining the European Union.
- Fewer than 1 in 10 people say Brexit has improved their life, and a clear majority say it has made their lives worse in several ways.
- Of all Britains surveyed, 48% would vote to rejoin the EU if a referendum were held.
As the waves of political upheaval once again rock Westminster, new polling suggests an incoming Prime Minister looking to win the hearts of young voters might consider a referendum on rejoining the European Union.
Data published on Wednesday 23 June by More In Common found that under the age of 64, people living in the United Kingdom are more likely than not to support a referendum on rejoining the EU in the next five years.
Of all Britons surveyed, almost half (48%) would vote to rejoin the EU if a referendum were held, while just 28% would vote to stay outside the EU.
The majority of support for staying outside the EU comes from those who intend to vote Reform UK and the Conservatives, although the later is close to evenly split.
When looking at people’s opinion on a referendum by age, however, it is clear that there is a mass of support for rejoining the EU from those of working age.
The data shows that 59% of Britons between the ages of 18 and 34 believe there should be a referendum on rejoining the EU in the next five years. 54% of those aged 35 to 44 years old also believe a referendum should be held.
While older Britons might generally be less supportive of rejoining the EU, the public as a whole seems to have conceded that Brexit was not a successful endeavour.
Fewer than 1 in 10 people say Brexit has improved their life, a majority of Britons believe that Brexit has negatively impacted their cost of living and ease of travel, as well as hampering the economy and worsening illegal migration.
59% of all Britons think Brexit has failed, and even amongst those who voted to leave the European Union, more believe that it has been a failure than a success.
Call for ministers to be decisive on EU relationship
This polling comes as the cross-party Business and Trade Committee has called for ministers to “get off the fence” and set out a clear vision for a relationship with the European Union.
It pointed to the success of the UK-EU reset in improving confidence in the UK’s approach to Europe, but raised concerns over the pace of delivery of meaningful action to build closer ties with the EU.
Committee chair Liam Byrne urged ministers to set out a clear vision of where they want Britain’s relationship with the EU to be by the end of this Parliament, as well as an approach and roadmap to achieve this goal.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated that leaving the EU has reduced UK GDP by around 4% over the long term.
The Business and Trade Committee has said the delivery of this UK-EU reset would optimistically add only 0.5% to the UK’s GDP by 2040.
“Business cannot invest in political signalling alone. It needs clear rules, a clear destination and a credible vision,” Byrne said.
