Nearly one in five Leave voters admit they were wrong, says new Brexit poll

A poll published in time for the seventh anniversary of the Brexit referendum shows that nearly one in five people who voted Leave now believe they were wrong.

The poll, conducted by the Tony Blair Institute and Deltapoll, reveals that only 34% of all respondents still believe leaving the EU was the right decision, and 18% of those who voted for Brexit would do so again.

Over 50% of the 1,525 adults polled said leaving the EU was a mistake, and nearly 80% of participants believe that the UK should maintain a closer relationship with the EU in the future.

Among them, 43% favour rejoining the EU, while 13% prefer returning to the single market alone.

However, the survey also reveals that slightly more than a fifth of people support a closer relationship with the EU but not as a member or part of the single market.

The poll’s data forms part of a comprehensive report that explores how the UK can enhance its post-Brexit relationship with the EU. The report’s authors, Anton Spisak and Christos Tsoulakis, highlight the relatively stable views of those who voted in the 2016 referendum.

The report emphasises that the change in public opinion is primarily driven by younger people aged 18 to 24 who did not take part in the 2016 vote and puts forward several proposals to improve the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU.

These include encouraging voluntary alignment with EU regulations on goods, developing closer regulatory alignment on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and linking emissions trading systems.

The report also suggests setting up a reciprocal exchange scheme with the EU for the young and securing easier travel for business people. It also recommends creating a “strategic pillar” within the existing trade agreement, serving as a basis for a joint framework on foreign policy and defence.

Spisak said: “The EU will always remain a key strategic ally, and it is absurd that the bloc has deeper trading arrangements with Israel and Georgia, better regulatory recognition on food-safety standards with Canada and New Zealand, and deeper mechanisms for political co-operation with nations including Australia and Japan.

“Any future British government that wants to improve the relationship with the EU will need a carefully considered strategic plan – and make a clear-eyed offer to the other side. Asking the EU nicely cannot succeed as a negotiating strategy.”