British voters believe Brexit has made things worse in the UK, from the economy to immigration, and left the nation with even less control over its own destiny.
And European voters would welcome us back with open arms if we applied to rejoin the European Union.
They are among the findings of a major new poll, which is likely to pile further pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to rebuild ties with the EU ten years after Britain voted to leave in a referendum.
The survey, involving 20,000 people over 27 leading democracies, including the US and Europe, suggests that Britons are the most pessimistic about their nation’s future. And the UK’s disillusioned ‘Gen Z,’ adults aged up to 28, are losing faith in democracy.
They are more than twice as likely as so-called ‘Baby Boomers,’ those aged 61 to 79, to opt for an authoritarian leader who rules without elections.
Some of the most striking findings of the poll carried out by Yonder Data Solutions, formerly known as Populus, on behalf of public relations giant FGS Global, relate to Brexit.
Voters in the UK are deeply dissatisfied with the way it has worked out. The main rallying cry of leading Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage was that it would enable the UK to ‘take back control.’
However, 72 per cent of British voters said we now have less, not more, control over our affairs than before. Only 15 per cent believe the slogan has lived up to its promise.
Two in three (66 per cent) said Brexit has hurt the economy; barely one in five (22 per cent) said it has had a positive impact.
During the Brexit referendum, supporters of staying in the EU who warned of severe consequences if Britain left were accused of running a ‘Project Fear’ campaign of bogus claims. The survey found that most voters now believe the grim forecasts were right.
A total of 55 per cent said the warnings have turned out to be true; 23 per cent said they have not turned out to be true.
Furthermore, some people believe they were misled by Brexiteer claims that cutting links with Brussels would solve the immigration crisis.
Only 22 per cent of Britons said it has given us greater power over our borders; 66 per cent said it has not achieved this. Meanwhile, voters in the EU think Britain’s departure has made things worse for them too.
Fewer than one in five (19 per cent) of European voters said the EU is better off without the UK; one in two (50 per cent) said it is not better off.
