British public backs closer ties with EU but rejects re‑joining

A survey commissioned by Ipsos, the Royal College of London and the think‑tank United Kingdom in a Changing Europe interviewed 2,245 British adults between 15‑20 May. About half of respondents said they support closer relations with the European Union, and 60 % want deeper defence cooperation.

53 % would back restoring free movement of people in exchange for EU market access, while 52 % prefer full border control and more limited EU ties, compared with 38 % favouring the opposite. Support for a second Brexit referendum has risen to 48 % versus 27 % opposed.

Attitudes have shifted over the past decade: in 2021, 27 % thought Brexit was going worse than expected, rising to 48 % in 2026. Approval of David Cameron’s 2016 referendum dropped from two‑thirds to 43 %, and the share seeing Brexit as a mistake grew from 24 % to 38 %. The poll indicates that sovereignty and immigration concerns continue to dominate public opinion on EU relations.