49% of Britons Support Rejoining EU, 28.5% Opposed

Highest Support Among Relationship Reset Options
Only 27.9% Favor Greater Distancing from the EU

A recent poll has found that nearly half of British voters support rejoining the European Union (EU). Among the seven relationship reset options presented in the survey, support for rejoining the EU was the highest.

In October 2019, in London, UK, people opposing Brexit and supporting remaining in the European Union (EU) marched demanding a second referendum. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to The Guardian on October 3 (local time), a poll conducted last month by political consultancy Messina Group showed that 49% of respondents favored rejoining the EU, while 28.5% were opposed. Meanwhile, 48.2% supported renegotiating bilateral agreements with the EU, and 47.1% supported joining a customs union.

Responses supporting further distancing from the EU amounted to just 27.9%. This was similar to the 29.7% of respondents who said that Brexit—Britain's exit from the EU—had been the right decision.

Previously, on September 29, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in relation to the upcoming EU-UK summit scheduled for next month, "I will put forward various options that I consider viable for the long-term relationship between the UK and its European partners."

However, some analysts warn that Prime Minister Burnham’s move to return to the EU could trigger political and social unrest, fueling divisions and potentially reviving the recently struggling right-wing Reform UK party.

The Guardian reported that among lawmakers representing constituencies that supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum, there is concern that even testing public support carries significant political risks and could end up strengthening the Reform UK party.

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said on October 1, "A second referendum would divide the country to an extent we have never seen before," adding, "Perhaps he [Andy Burnham] has just given me the biggest boost of my political career. Thank you, Andy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.