Brexit: Support for rejoining EU grows after Burnham opened door to UK’s return - The Independent

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

Support for reversing Brexit has risen – and opposition has fallen – since Andy Burnham opened the door to Britain rejoining the European Union, according to a major new poll.

The Ipsos Mori survey found that 56 per cent now say they would vote in favour of becoming part of the EU again, up four percentage points on a similar poll in May.

At the same time the number who back staying out has fallen three points to 30 per cent.

When the findings were filtered by those likely to vote in a future referendum, the result was 63-34, with 3 per cent saying they did not know.

The poll also revealed that 73 per cent of those aged under 35 want to rejoin the bloc, alongside 77 per cent of those who voted Labour at the last general election, 31 per cent of Tories and even 16 per cent of Reform voters.

Most of the public think joining the EU will improve the economy and national security, 54 and 53 per cent respectively, although 39 per cent think it would harm Britain’s ability to act in its own best interests.

Nick Boles, the former Tory minister who helped to prepare Labour for office before it entered government in 2024, said it was “clear” from the poll that “Andy Burnham speaks for a majority when he says that Brexit has been bad for Britain and we need a much closer relationship with the EU”.

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, who has predicted the prime minister will be the man to lead the UK back into the EU, said the findings among under 35s signify “continually growing support within the part of the national population which will inevitably become larger, while ‘stay out’ shrinks in the coming decades”.

We are campaigning to rebuild Britain's relationship with Europe. Join us here