Leavers can’t decide if Brexit is good or bad for business

Brexiteers can’t decide whether Brexit has been good or bad for British business, with a new poll revealing Leavers are equally split about the consequences of leaving the EU.

According to a survey carried out by Opinium earlier this month, 23 per cent of those who voted Leave now believe there have been more negative outcomes as a result of Brexit – and the same percentage think there have been more positive ones.

Some 15 per cent of Leave voters answered “don’t know” and 40 per cent said they believe there has been a similar amount of positive and negative consequences.

By comparison, 77 per cent of those who voted Remain think there have been more negative consequences on British businesses.

Overall general public thinks Brexit has been negative

And 50 per cent of the British general public now thinks Brexit has been negative for UK business, with only 13 per cent thinking it was positive.

Among Conservative voters, 22 per cent think Brexit was bad for business, and 25 per cent think it was positive – with 39 per cent thinking leaving the bloc had “about the same” number of positives and negatives, and 13 per cent saying they “don’t know”.

By contrast, Labour voters heavily agree Brexit has been negative for British business, with 72 per cent expressing these views.

Food shortages

Earlier this month, it emerged that 56 per cent of Britons have now noticed food shortages in their local shops or supermarkets.

The figures are up from 45 per cent in mid August, and 36 per cent in late July, according to YouGov polls.

Of the 56 per cent, the age group which most noticed the shortages are those aged over 50.

The figures have triggered various reactions from Twitter users.

Chris Armstrong said: “All those countries who fought wars against Britain must be kicking themselves finding out that all they needed to do was wait for us to shoot ourselves in the dick because some newspaper editors told us to.”

National awakening?

And Colin Alston noted: “Over 52 per cent. Is that the beginning of a national awakening?”

Nik Traykov added: “Up from 48 per cent who noticed it in 2016.”

One Twitter user said: “But…blue passports!”

Another joked: “Leave voters FINALLY realise that they DIDN’T actually know what they were voting for. “

“It must be hard for those who believe in Brexit but don’t believe in covid to now blame covid for this. But since their Covid denial as well as their Brexit belief exist purely in their imaginations, they will still find a way to do it,” another added.

Andra Maciuca

Andra is a multilingual, award-winning NQJ senior journalist and the UK’s first Romanian representing co-nationals in Britain and reporting on EU citizens for national news. She is interested in UK, EU and Eastern European affairs, EU citizens in the UK, British citizens in the EU, environmental reporting, ethical consumerism and corporate social responsibility. She has contributed articles to VICE, Ethical Consumer and The New European and likes writing poetry, singing, songwriting and playing instruments. She studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield and has a Masters in International Business and Management from the University of Manchester. Follow her on: