Brexit's cost to UK projected at £311 billion by 2035 as nearly 60% now deem it a mistake

A decade after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, a significant shift in public opinion suggests that many now view Brexit as a misstep. Recent YouGov polls indicate that nearly 60 percent of Britons believe the decision to leave the EU was wrong.

The 2016 referendum saw 52% of voters opt for departure, a campaign heavily influenced by the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and its prominent figure, Nigel Farage. Farage, who later founded Reform UK, has consistently advocated for anti-EU policies. His earlier warnings to Croatia against joining the EU in 2013, stating that membership would benefit politicians and bureaucrats over citizens, resurfaced.

Farage's influence was instrumental in persuading Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron to hold the referendum. The "Vote Leave" campaign, initially seen as having slim chances, gained momentum under the strategic direction of Dominic Cummings. The campaign employed controversial and often misleading claims, amplified through social media, to secure a narrow victory.

Since leaving the EU's single market, successive British governments, including those led by Boris Johnson, have struggled to counteract the resulting economic damage. Figures suggest that the cost of Brexit for the UK could reach £311 billion by 2035. The initial promise of regaining sovereignty has been overshadowed by ongoing economic challenges and a public sentiment increasingly critical of the decision.

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You cannot be an independent, democratic state and at the same time a member of this kind of European Union.