Almost half of UK voters want to see a closer EU-UK relationship according to a poll of 15,029 people across the country.
Commissioned by the anti-Brexit lobby group Best for Britain, the survey found that closer EU-UK ties is the most popular choice in every constituency in Britain and among voters of every political party except the right-of-centre Reform UK party.
The poll, undertaken by Survation, found that 49.2% of respondents want to see a closer EU-UK relationship compared to the current post-Brexit trading arrangements, agreed under the prime ministership of Boris Johnson in 2020.
Best for Britain says that that these arrangements have increased red tape for businesses, made travel more difficult and expensive, removed opportunities particularly for young people, and “badly damaged” the UK economy and public finances.
The number of people who want closer EU-UK ties is more than three times the number who want to see “greater distance” (14.8%) and double the number who want to keep the status quo (24%).
Support for rapprochement with Europe was the most popular option in all nations, regions and constituencies in Britain with the greatest support in Scotland (56.2%).
In the constituency of Boston and Skegness, where 74.9% of voters backed leave in the 2016 referendum, a closer relationship with the EU was also the most popular option.
Closer EU-UK ties was also found to be the most popular option among readers of the UK’s leading Brexit-backing news outlets, the Daily Mail, The Sun and The Daily Telegraph.
Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, said: “Eight years since the referendum and three years since Boris Johnson’s botched deal came into effect, no serious person argues that Brexit has been good for the UK, with fewer opportunities and increased costs for consumers and businesses.
The poll was conducted between 8 and 22 March.
