A clear majority of Britons say they would vote to rejoin the EU if another Brexit referendum were held, according to a new poll, with younger voters in particular signalling a strong desire to reverse the 2016 decision.
The UK left the EU on January 31, 2020 (Image: PA)
A majority of voters would back rejoining the European Union if another Brexit referendum were held, according to new polling. Nearly six in 10 people, or 58 percent, say they would vote to return to the bloc. The findings come from a Deltapoll survey for the Mirror, published ahead of the tenth anniversary of the 2016 Brexit vote later this year.
Young voters overwhelmingly back rejoining
Support for reversing Brexit is strongest among younger voters. More than eight in 10 people aged 18 to 24, or 86 percent, said they would vote to rejoin the EU.
Older age groups were more divided. Among those aged 55 to 64, a narrow majority backed staying out of the EU by 51 percent to 49 percent. Support for remaining outside the bloc rose to 58 percent among over 65s.
Clear divide along party lines
Conservative and Reform UK voters strongly favour the current Brexit settlement, with 66 percent of Conservative voters and 82 percent of Reform supporters backing staying out of the EU.
In contrast, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters are firmly pro rejoin. Around 71 percent of Labour supporters and 78 percent of Lib Dem voters said they would vote to return to the EU.
Every region backs rejoining
All parts of the UK showed majority support for rejoining the EU. Scotland recorded the strongest backing at 73 percent, followed by London and Wales, both at 65 percent.
Support was lower in the Midlands at 53 percent and the North at 54 percent, but both regions still favoured rejoining over staying out.
Starmer seeks closer ties but rules out rejoining
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has moved to repair relations with European partners after years of Brexit disputes under Conservative governments. He struck a trade deal with Brussels last year and confirmed the UK will rejoin the Erasmus+ programme, allowing British students to study in Europe again.
On Sunday, Mr Starmer signalled openness to deeper cooperation with the EU and said he would consider even closer alignment with the single market. However, he rejected calls to reverse Brexit entirely.
Speaking to the BBC, he said the Government would not rejoin the EU, adding that closer cooperation was clearly set out in Labour’s manifesto.
Senior Labour figures have begun to push further. Health Secretary Wes Streeting publicly backed a new customs union with the EU before Christmas.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak also told the Mirror that closer ties with Brussels were vital, pointing to concerns about Donald Trump as an unreliable international ally.
Campaigners say Brexit has failed
Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, said the polling reflected widespread public disappointment with Brexit.
She said voters increasingly see Brexit as a failure, particularly as global instability grows and relations with the US become less predictable. She added that rebuilding trust with Europe would be essential before any future move towards the customs union, single market or EU membership.
Government holds firm on red lines
Despite the polling, Downing Street has restated that re-joining the single market or customs union remains off the table.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said the Government was committed to resetting relations with the EU, but insisted that its red lines had not changed.
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