Majority of Britons Believe Brexit Vote Was Wrong

A majority of Britons now believe the United Kingdom was wrong to vote to leave the European Union, according to a June 2026 YouGov poll.

This shift in public sentiment comes 10 years after the original referendum. It suggests a significant erosion of support for the UK's exit from the bloc as voters weigh the actual outcomes against the promises made during the 2016 campaign.

The poll indicates that 57% of Britons think the UK was wrong to vote to leave the EU ^[1]. This change in perspective extends into the camp of those who originally supported the exit, with 23% of original Leave voters now stating they believe the vote was wrong ^[1].

Public desire for a reversal or adjustment of the current status is evident in the data. Approximately 59% of Britons now support a closer relationship with the EU, or re-joining the union entirely ^[1].

These shifts in opinion are largely driven by economic and political disappointments. Many voters feel that the promised benefits of national sovereignty and economic gain have not materialized [2, 3].

Economic data further informs this sentiment. Analysis indicates that the economy of Britain is smaller than it would have been had the country remained in the EU ^[4]. This gap between the predicted prosperity of a sovereign UK and the current economic reality has fueled the growing sense of regret among the electorate.

The findings highlight a volatile political landscape in the United Kingdom. While the 2016 vote was legally binding and the process of leaving was completed, the current data suggests the public's appetite for isolation from the European market has diminished.