7 in 10 Britons think Brexit has had a negative impact on the UK economy

The latest Ipsos Political Monitor looks at attitudes towards whether the public think Brexit has been a success or failure

The author(s)
  • Gideon Skinner Public Affairs
  • Keiran Pedley Public Affairs
  • Cameron Garrett Public Affairs
  • Ben Roff Public Affairs
Get in touch
  • 57% consider Brexit more of a failure than a success – just 13% see it as more of a success than a failure.

The latest Ipsos Political Monitor, taken 17th  – 23rd  January 2024, explores public attitudes Brexit, including the impact it has had on daily life in the U.K. and whether it has been a success or a failure overall.

When asked about the impact of Brexit on various aspects of life in the U.K., only a minority think it has had a positive impact on anything – around a fifth or less for all but one area of life in the U.K. In contrast, around half or more think Brexit has had a negative impact on various aspects of life. 
The public are most negative on the impact of Brexit on the current state of the U.K. economy where 70% think it has had a negative impact. This is followed by the future prospects for growth in the U.K. (55%) and the U.K’s standing on the world stage (54%).

The public are least negative on the UK’s ability to make its own decisions (34% positive and 32% negative). 

Success or failure?

  • 13% of Britons consider Brexit more of a success than a failure. 57% consider it more a failure than a success. Just over one in four say it has been neither, including 21% that say it has been neither a success nor a failure and 6% that say it has been both equally. 
  • 7 in 10 of those aged under 35 consider Brexit more of a failure. Even those aged 55+ are twice as likely to consider it more of a failure (42%), than more of a success (21%).
  • 67% of Londoners brand Brexit more of a failure, compared to 49% in the Midlands.
  • 73% of graduates have a negative view of Brexit, double the 36% of those without formal qualifications.Overall, taking everything into account, do you think that Brexit has been more of a success or more of a failure, or neither? 	 	Success	Neither a success nor a failure	Equally a success and failure	Failure	Don't know/no opinion Among All	Among all	13	21	6	57	3 By party support	Labour	4	14	3	78	1 By party support	Conservative	31	28	12	28	1 By age	55+	21	25	7	42	4 By age	35-54	9	21	6	64	1 By age	18-34	5	16	6	70	3

Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos, said:

2019 was called the Brexit election, and it was a key factor in Boris Johnson’s victory.  However there are few signs that it will play as dominant a role in 2024, with Britons’ worries over public services, the cost of living and borders paramount.  But that also reflects how attitudes to Brexit have changed since then, especially since the autumn of 2022.  Now consistently most Britons think it has had a negative impact on the country, and even those who were more likely to support the decision often feel that it could have been better implemented.  As with the mood of the nation more generally, the challenge for the Conservatives is whether they can turn around perceptions that Brexit has damaged issues that people really care about like the economy, NHS and immigration.

Technical note:

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,003 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted by telephone between the 17th to 23rd January 2023. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.
 

The author(s)
  • Gideon Skinner Public Affairs
  • Keiran Pedley Public Affairs
  • Cameron Garrett Public Affairs
  • Ben Roff Public Affairs

More insights about Public Sector

Society