Two in three Britons now say Brexit harmed the UK, as three-quarters want closer EU ties, ECFR poll finds

A decade after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, a comprehensive poll from the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) reveals deep and broad-based regret among British voters. Conducted from 7 to 14 May 2026 with more than 2,000 respondents, the survey finds that 66 percent of Britons believe the decision to exit has damaged the country.

A decade later, Britons are realizing that their hopes for a better life outside the EU remain unfulfilled and that Brexit is undermining the UK's ability to manage the issues that matter most to voters.

The economic and social verdict

The poll details how Brexit has, in the public's view, hit the issues that dominated the 2016 campaign. Sixty-six percent say it raised the cost of living, while 65 percent believe it harmed the economy. Fifty-seven percent judge that it reduced opportunities for young people, and the same share think leaving the EU was simply a mistake. On immigration, the central pledge of the Leave campaign, 56 percent now say post-Brexit approaches have failed, and an identical 56 percent would accept a return to free movement in exchange for a closer trade relationship.

A shift on security and alliances

British attitudes toward international partnerships are also changing. Only 18 percent of respondents regard the United States as an ally. Europe is now the preferred security partner, reinforcing the desire to rebuild bridges with the EU. Seventy-five percent of Britons now back closer ties, a figure that cuts across party lines, including supporters of Reform UK.

Europe would welcome Britain back

A separate ECFR survey conducted in 15 EU member states shows that two-thirds of Europeans view the UK's return to the EU favourably. Support ranges from 56 percent in Bulgaria and 59 percent in France and Italy to 75 percent in the Netherlands and Denmark. Even voters of right-wing and eurosceptic parties are inclined toward closer ties: 71 percent of Poland's Confederation supporters, 58 percent of Germany's AfD backers, and 58 percent of France's National Rally voters endorse deeper UK-EU relations.

Leaders signal an open door

Several EU leaders have publicly expressed their willingness to welcome Britain back. French President Emmanuel Macron has stated the door remains "always open," while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain would "absolutely" support a new British accession. Finland's President Alexander Stubb went further, explicitly naming the UK as a candidate country.

We need a British voice in Europe. We really miss you.

In May, the European Green Party formally called on Britain to return to the EU. The converging signals from London and continental capitals suggest that the political landscape around Brexit has shifted dramatically over the past decade.