Britons are shifting towards Brexit, a new ORB poll has indicated, despite Prime Minister David Cameron expressing optimism that he is now more likely to get a good deal for the UK with the trading bloc’s leaders. Britain is today the most reluctant member of the European Union (EU). Brexit stands for Britain Exiting the EU.
The ORB poll found that 21% of Britons are still undecided on whether to stay or leave the EU, 43% want to leave, while 36% would like to stay.
If you take out the undecideds from the mix, 54% of Brits are in favour of Brexit, compared to 51% at this time last year, while those wanting to remain slipped from 49% to 46% over the same period.
The UK is clearly the most anti-EU nation. (Source: opinion.co.uk)
UK is the least pro-EU nation
The UK is the only EU nation with a majority of voters (minus the undecideds) who favour leaving the trading bloc.
If one is to believe the Prime Minister’s words, the British public is shifting in the opposite direction to Mr. Cameron, who says he is now much more optimistic that the UK’s demands regarding changing its relationship with the EU can be met, including reducing benefit rights to migrant workers from the EU employed in the UK for 4 years.
Johnny Heald, Managing Director of ORB International said in a statement:
“These results show that the UK really is the black sheep of the family. Over the last twelve months significantly more of us have felt further removed from Europe (38%) than closer to Europe (13%).”
“Meanwhile there has also been an increase from 51% to 54% of those with an opinion who would vote to leave the EU. The Prime Ministers negotiations with his European colleagues appear to be crucial in avoiding Brexit.”
Shifts seen in other EU states
Some EU states have seen a shift in EU sentiment. Forty-two percent of Italian voters today would like to leave the trading bloc, compared to just 25% one year ago. In Belgium, those in favour of leaving rose from 25% last year to 33% today.
Prime Minister David Cameron is optimistic that he can get what he seeks during the EU negotiations.
Greece however, has bucked the trend. Sixty-two percent of Greeks today favour remaining in the EU, compared to 53% one year ago.
Euro sentiment
Sentiment towards the euro has also cooled. More people today, if given the choice, would opt to turn their backs on the euro compared to fifteen years ago when it was launched.
Forty-seven percent of voters across the EU would prefer their national currency instead of the euro, compared to 44% one year ago.
Non-euro EU members are super anti-euro. In the UK, just 6% of voters would like to join the European currency, 12% in Sweden, 13% in Denmark, 26% in Romania and 9% in Bulgaria.
However, in Germany, France, Spain and Greece – Eurozone countries – the percentage of people in favour of the euro has increased over the past year. In Italy, 47% of voters would like to see a return to the Lira.
Video – Brexit
Vicky Redwood, Chief UK Economist at Capital Economics, discusses the EU referendum that will take place in the UK.