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Majority of voters back under-30s migration in Brexit reset, poll shows

Keir Starmer is pushing for closer ties to the EU as part of a ‘reset’ of relations, five years on from Brexit taking effect

The British public backs closer relations with the EU five years after the UK left – and wants the Government to sign up to a new migration scheme for young people.

A poll for The i Paper by BMG Research marking half a decade since Brexit took place shows that more people would support rejoining the EU than want to stay out.

And most voters back the Prime Minister’s decision to launch a “reset” of relations with Brussels – with a quarter saying that it is moving too slowly.

The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, three and a half years after the vote in favour of Brexit by a margin of 52 to 48 per cent and following three delays to the exit date amid wrangling over what terms to leave on and whether there should be a second referendum on the issue.

The fifth anniversary of Brexit has not been formally marked by Sir Keir Starmer, even as the Conservatives and Nigel Farage have both sought to take credit for delivering the bombshell referendum result.

The BMG survey found that 45 per cent of voters want to rejoin the EU with 37 per cent preferring to stay out. Stripping out those who did not express an opinion, would produce a 55-45 victory for “rejoin” in a hypothetical referendum.

Voters think that on balance rejoining would be good for Britain’s economy, the cost of living and public services – although they say it would be negative for immigration levels.

Most of the public does not believe the Government has been clear about its plans for a reset with the EU, but a majority are in favour: 28 per cent say it is the right time to seek a new relationship with the bloc and 26 per cent say it should have happened already, while just 17 per cent are opposed to the reset in principle.

Asked whether the UK should prioritise closer economic ties with the EU at the expense of following European regulations, or the current path of regulatory freedom and looser trade, 48 per cent back a closer relationship and 33 per cent prefer the status quo.

There is also strong support for the idea of setting up a UK-EU youth mobility scheme, which would allow people under 30 to travel abroad for work and study for a set number of years – 57 per cent are in favour with 14 per cent opposed.

The Government has repeatedly ruled this out, although it is a key demand from Brussels. A No 10 spokesman said: “As we have said previously multiple times, there are no plans for a youth mobility scheme, but we are not going to give a running commentary on our talks with the EU. We have had very positive early engagement with them, and of course our discussions remain ongoing.”

Starmer will travel to Brussels on Monday for talks with all 27 leaders of the EU member states, in which he hopes to make progress on establishing a new Europe-wide defence and security pact.

Analysis: Starmer squeezed on both sides

Sir Keir Starmer is already facing accusations of “Brexit betrayal” from the Leave-backing right of the political spectrum – even as the EU grumbles he’s not going far enough in rebuilding relations.

The Conservatives – and Nigel Farage – will always jump on any suggestion that the Prime Minister is planning to roll back the result of the 2016 referendum.

That explains why he is so cautious about offering Brussels any concrete concessions, such as setting up the youth mobility scheme that the EU is keen on.

Our poll findings may come as good news to Starmer: overall, the public is happy with the idea of a “reset” with the bloc and keen for the Government to go further than it already has.

So if he does seek to move closer to the EU, there is unlikely to be a huge backlash from the majority of voters. However, given Labour’s poor approval ratings, he will know that his political opponents will continue to jump on any opportunity to criticise his performance.

Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice said there was a long-term trend of scepticism about the benefits of Brexit. He told The i Paper: “The principal driver of what’s been a modest rise in support for being inside the European Union has been those who didn’t vote in 2016. Some of whom, of course, were too young to vote. And we know that young people are particularly keen on rejoining the European Union. And there are some people who perhaps regret not having voted back in 2016.”

Oliver White of BMG said: “There is nothing in our poll that would suggest anything other than that the public wants a closer economic relationship with the EU. The reset may not end the debate, and many divisions from 2016 remain, but public support for a renewed relationship is stronger than many might assume.”

BMG Research interviewed a representative sample of 1,514 GB adults online between 28-29 January 2025. BMG Research is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.



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