10 Years After Brexit: Pro-Leave Voters Remain Unrepentant

Ten years after the historic referendum, Britain remains fractured over Brexit. Although polls indicate a majority of the public now regret the move, those who once voted to leave the EU remain steadfast in their choice.

“The arguments for Brexit are now largely the same as they were back then: sovereignty, democracy, and taking back control,” Brexit supporter Professor Robert Tombs of Cambridge University told Al Jazeera. The theme of “control” was central to the Leave campaign, which called for curbing immigration and reclaiming sovereignty from the EU – seen as a distant elite.

The UK’s relationship with the EU had been turbulent since joining in the 1970s. Crises like “Black Wednesday” in 1992, when Britain could not keep the pound within the EU’s exchange rate mechanism, and the fierce battle over the Maastricht Treaty created deep divisions in British politics, ultimately leading to Brexit.

Many Leave voters hoped their ballot would reduce immigration. However, even after leaving the EU, immigration to Britain soared under Prime Minister Boris Johnson – a phenomenon right-wing critics call the “Boriswave.” Net migration rose from about 224,000 people in 2019 to over 600,000 in 2022 and 906,000 in 2023, an increase of 302%.

“We did regain control of immigration,” admitted David Goodhart, head of demography at the right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange. “But the problem is we used that freedom to expand it.” He blames successive UK governments for failing to seize post-Brexit opportunities, arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war, and domestic political chaos have fueled social unease.

While Brexit has not boosted the UK economy as hoped, some pessimistic Remain forecasts have not materialized. There was no immediate recession, mass job losses, or a talent exodus from finance as feared. “Brexit has not been the economic catastrophe many claimed,” Goodhart said, pointing out that its impact has been relatively minor compared to global economic downturns.

Brexit supporters cite certain achievements: “The UK has signed trade deals it could not have as an EU member. There has also been some light deregulation, such as on gene editing, which would not have been possible in the EU,” said Kristian Niemietz, editorial director at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). However, he argued the UK has been “too timid” in reforms, and free trade with light regulation is the way to “make Brexit a late success.”

For those still backing the decision a decade on, the key point is that Britain has survived predicted failures. Professor Tombs concluded: “The main difference between Britain and other EU countries is that we got to vote. No one else in Europe was given that choice. We had it.”