Leavers increasingly unimpressed by Johnson’s Brexit deal, poll shows

Voters from across the political spectrum are unimpressed by Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal as its ramifications become clear, according to a new study.

Both Brexiteers and Remainers are now more likely to say believe Britain got a bad deal with the EU than in January, according to the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen).

The study revealed that while 21 per cent of people thought the UK got a good deal in January, the figure dropped to only 12 per cent in August.

What figures say about Leave and Remain voters

Among Remainers, 66 per cent now think a bad deal was secured, compared to 53 per cent at the beginning of the year.

Even Leavers think less of the deal obtained by Johnson’s government, with 36 per cent viewing it unfavourably, compared to 22 per cent who still say it has been good.

By contrast, the opposite was true for Brexiteers at the beginning of the year – 35 per cent thought it was a good deal, compared to 22 per cent who said it was good.

Political scientist Sir John Curtice, who is a professor at the University of Strathclyde, told The Independent that the Brexit deal is being criticised for two reasons.

On one hand, there are people who dislike the policies themselves, on the other, there are those who disagree with the way they have been put in practice.

He said: “People on the Remain side of the debate are relatively united in their dislike of an outcome whose principal objective is one that they oppose in the first place. Meanwhile, some on the Leave side feel that the UK is still tied too closely to the EU’s orbit, while others would have preferred a softer Brexit.

“And it’s those with strong views on Brexit – the partisans on both sides – who are proving most difficult for the government to satisfy. As a result, the nation is still divided over the outcome of the Brexit process.”

Brits are worried about their personal finances post-Brexit

A poll in October revealed most Brits didn’t think their personal finances would be better as a result of Brexit – and the belief was also shared by an overwhelming percentage of Leavers.

According to a Savanta ComRes poll for The Independent, no region, social class or age group thought Brexit would benefit them financially – with only 22 per cent of the total amount of Leave voters thinking they would have personal gains from exiting the EU.

And over a third of voters said they thought their personal finances would suffer because of Brexit.

The survey also found that more than 56 per cent of voters thought their lives will be worse because of rising costs of food, energy and housing – and many were also worried about Brexit and recent Tory changes to tax rates.

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: