Ten years on from the referendum that divided the nation, a new poll suggests a clear majority of Britons would now vote to rejoin the European Union. Of the 10,000 people quizzed, 55% said they would back rejoining, while only 32% said they would stay out. The findings come as a scorecard of Brexit's key promises shows a mixed record.
The Metro newspaper's 'Brexit scorecard' rated the government's performance on ten major pledges. Cheaper food, one of the most straightforward promises, scored just 2 out of 10. Economists generally agree that new trade barriers have added costs for importers and retailers, though Covid, war and inflation also played a role. The economy scored 4 out of 10 – while Britain swerved an immediate post-referendum recession, most forecasters believe it is smaller than it would otherwise have been. Bloomberg Economics estimates Brexit costs the country up to £200bn a year.
“Ten years on, 55% of Britons would vote to rejoin the EU, a new poll reveals, as Brexit's promises fall short.”
Trade also scored 4 out of 10. Exporting to the EU became more bureaucratic, especially for smaller businesses, with new costs and fees. New trade deals have been signed worldwide, but they have not fully offset the extra friction with Britain's biggest trading partner.
In an analysis for UnHerd, the referendum campaign was described as 'a dialogue of the deaf'. For Remainers, the issue was the economy; for Leavers, it was sovereignty, exemplified by immigration. 'Brexit was an act of gross economic vandalism,' the article states. 'Many Leavers understood that at the time. Most were indifferent.' The slogan 'Take Back Control' proved a winning formula, but the article questions how much control Britain has really gained. 'In a world of huge nations like the United States and China, it is in the interest of smaller nations to join together in powerful multinational blocs,' it argues. 'Britain's own ability to exercise “control” over its own fate is inevitably more limited outside the EU.'
The article traces a consistent thread in British foreign policy: engagement with Europe has been a strategic necessity for centuries, from Queen Elizabeth I landing armies to contain Spain, to resisting French hegemony in the 18th century. 'Britain's single-minded pursuit of this objective has involved the patient cultivation of European allies,' it notes. A decade on, the question of whether the sovereignty gained is worth the economic cost remains unresolved.