A revealing poll conducted during a special episode of BBC Question Time has exposed a surprising shift in sentiments among Brexit supporters. According to the survey, a staggering 20% of Leave voters would cast their ballots differently if given the chance today.
The poll, exclusively conducted among a Clacton-on-Sea audience - a region renowned for its overwhelming support for Brexit -captured the mood on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the EU referendum.
While the majority, 70%, still firmly stand by their decision to leave the European Union, the dissenting voices within the Leave camp have grown.
The issues under scrutiny during the special episode covered a wide range of Brexit-related topics, including the effect on the cost of living, the advantages and disadvantages of Brexit, the impact on immigration, and the Brexit strategies that the Conservative and Labour parties should adopt for future elections.
As opinions were exchanged, one audience member who had changed their stance declared, "I don't see any benefit from it all." Another attributed their altered perspective to the perceived hindrances imposed by politicians, stating, "We haven't started Brexit yet, when's it going to start?"
During the discussions, Conservative MP John Redwood dismissed any correlation between Brexit and the cost of living, emphatically stating that "the cost of living is 'not at all'" linked to the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Redwood further criticized Western banks, including the Bank of England, for depressing interest rates and exacerbating economic conditions, asserting, "They created the money and credit explosion."
In a dramatic moment that garnered applause from the audience, former No 10 press secretary Alastair Campbell accused the British public of being "lied to" and called for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be held accountable. He proclaimed, "You were told that it would be pain-free. You were told that it would all be upsides, no downsides. We're all paying a higher price in our cost of living and everything else because of the lies we were told."
Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister, Baroness Jenny Chapman, voiced criticism of the government's handling of Brexit. However, she offered hope, stating, "we can put the 'great' back into Great Britain." Referring to the government's alleged preoccupations with peerages and partying during lockdown, she contended, "They're spending far more time on those things than they are on fixing the deal."
Entrepreneur and Reform UK member Ben Habib blamed the lack of Brexit dividends on a failure to deregulate effectively. He argued, "We are hitched at the hip to the EU, and that's why we haven't got the dividends because we can't deregulate, we can't cut taxes, and we can't put more money in your pockets." Habib also received applause for highlighting the government's insufficient efforts to upskill the domestic workforce, leading to an overreliance on immigrant labor.
When questioned about Labour's Brexit policy for future elections, Baroness Chapman ruled out re-joining the EU but emphasized the importance of focusing on key areas such as the UK-EU Veterinary agreement, the European Horizon research and innovation program, qualifications, and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy.
In contrast, Habib demanded the government scrap the Northern Ireland deal, condemning the current border arrangement as an "abomination."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, addressing Brexit during a visit to an RAF base, emphasized that there was no case for re-joining the EU. He expressed the need to improve upon the existing deal, stating: "The deal we’ve got isn’t working properly, so we need to improve upon that and make sure we can make a success of this as we go forward.”
Downing Street said the UK was capitalising on the benefits afforded by the Brexit vote.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We are already using Brexit freedoms in a raft of areas to benefit people up and down the country.
“On businesses, things like Solvency II.
“We have a new model of medicines approval to help the public get cutting-edge drugs faster. We have a points-based immigration system. And we are agreeing new trade deals.”
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