In 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union in a close-call referendum. Nine years on, the nation appears to be “Bregretful”.
In a survey conducted by YouGov, 56% of UK citizens said that with hindsight, they believed the decision to leave the bloc was wrong, compared with 31% who maintained that it was the right decision.
Asked whether Brexit has been more of a failure than a success, 61% said it had been more of a failure, 20% stated it was neither, while 13% argued it has been a success.
Of those who were disappointed by Brexit, 88% placed the blame on the UK’s Conservative party, while 84% said former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was to blame.
However, one in three of those surveyed also stated that the EU was responsible for Brexit’s shortcomings, including 60% of Leave voters.
Despite these differences, the survey revealed that almost two-thirds of UK citizens now want a closer relationship with the European Union – a stance that is popular across all main parties (51-78%), as well as among Leave voters (60%).
Although Brits believe that closer ties with the EU could be beneficial, the question of whether there should be a referendum on rejoining the bloc remains a thorny one.
UK citizens remain unconvinced about holding a referendum in the near future. However, over a longer 25-year period, 52% backed a referendum, compared to 26% who said they would still oppose the idea.
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