Brexit regrets: The UK's changing tune on EU exit

British nationals are expressing increasing regret over the decision to leave the European Union, according to a recent YouGov survey. Despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's claims that Brexit brought benefits to the UK, over half of the population would now vote to remain in the EU if a referendum were held again.

The survey results indicate that 55 percent of respondents would choose to remain in the EU, while only 31 percent would opt to stay out. Notably, 18 percent of those who previously voted to leave the EU now say they would change their minds and vote to remain.

Interest in remaining in the EU has grown since 2021, with 49 percent of respondents supporting continued membership at that time compared to 55 percent in 2023. The number of undecided voters remains consistent at 13 percent.

Among those who voted to leave the EU in 2021, the survey found a decline in support, with only 73 percent still favoring leave in 2023. Conversely, the number of respondents who voted to remain doubled from 9 percent to 18 percent in 2022. Moreover, uncertainty about their decision grew by one percent among leave voters.

Currently, 57 percent of Britons believe the decision to leave the EU in 2016 was a mistake, the highest figure recorded by YouGov to date. In contrast, 32 percent consider the decision to be right and appropriate, and 19 percent of Leave voters now admit it was the wrong decision.

In addition to a significant shift in public opinion, seven out of ten Britons feel that the government handled Brexit poorly. This sentiment has been steadily increasing since 2021, while approval for the government's handling of the exit continues to decline, hitting a low of 18 percent.

The impact of leaving the EU is evident in the British economy, as data from the OECD reveals a 0.4 percent decrease in GDP growth since 2019, while other countries like Germany and France experienced growth of 0.3 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively, during the same period.

[Information from Schengen Visa Info]