Poll Finds 48 Percent of Britons Back Second Brexit Referendum

A poll conducted between May 15 and 20 found that 48 percent of British adults would back a second referendum on European Union membership, while 27 percent would oppose one. The survey by Ipsos, King’s College London and UK in a Changing Europe also showed that the share of people who say Brexit is going worse than expected has risen from 27 percent in 2021 to 48 percent this year.

Almost half of those surveyed said they would support closer relations with the EU, and 60 percent said they wanted more defence cooperation.

When asked about returning to freedom of movement in exchange for single-market access, 53 percent said they would support the arrangement. When the question was framed around border control, 52 percent preferred full immigration control and a more limited EU relationship, compared with 38 percent who took the opposite view.

Ipsos research director Keiran Pedley said attitudes toward the EU remain complex.

The poll indicated that proposing a new referendum would raise the share of people willing to consider voting Labour at the next election from 31 percent to 45 percent. Professor Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe said each option on future EU relations carries clear trade-offs. The survey was carried out ten years after Britain’s 2016 decision to leave the European Union.