Most Brexit voters want more members to leave the EU

The majority of people who voted ‘Leave’ in last year’s referendum hope other countries will also leave the European Union soon, a survey by Ipsos MORI for King's College London has found, but most ‘Remain’ voters hope the EU will keep its remaining members.

The telephone survey of 998 British adults carried out last month, and published as the UK begins the process of leaving the EU by triggering Article 50, found that most people in Britain think that the EU will lose more members once Britain has gone. But while two-thirds of ‘Leave’ voters say they would personally prefer this to happen, two-thirds of ‘Remain’ voters would prefer that it doesn’t.

Seven Britons in ten (70 per cent) said they thought it was most likely that other countries will also leave the EU in the five to ten years after Britain leaves; only a quarter (24 per cent) thought it more likely that more countries will not leave.

When asked what they would personally prefer to happen, the public are split: 42 per cent want other countries to leave too, 43 per cent would prefer no other countries to leave. But views on this second question dramatically differ according to views on Brexit: 65 per cent of those who say they voted for Britain to leave the EU hope other countries will also leave, while 65 per cent of those who voted for Britain to remain in the EU hope all the other countries will remain.

Professor Anand Menon, European & International Studies and Director of UK in a Changing Europe, said: ‘The poll uncovered some fascinating differences between public and political opinion. While the Prime Minister has made it clear she wants the EU to flourish without the UK, a large proportion of Leave voters believe, and indeed hope, that other member states will leave the Union in the wake of Brexit.’

For further information contact the Public Relations department at King's College Lonon on pr@kcl.ac.uk or 0207 848 3202

Notes to editors: 

• Ipsos MORI interviewed a representative sample of 998 GB adults by telephone on 10-14 February 2017. Data were weighted to match the profile of the population.
• The survey was conducted for the Polling Club at King’s College London. The Polling Club, run by Professor Roger Mortimore, allows students to increase their knowledge and understanding of survey research and public opinion by helping to design and analyse the results from a poll carried out by Ipsos MORI. For further details about the Polling Club, contact Professor Mortimore.

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