A clear majority of Britons do not want to hand back powers regained through Brexit in exchange for closer integration with the European Union, according to new polling commissioned by the campaign group Britain Unbound.
The survey, conducted by YouGov among more than 2,100 adults across Britain, found that nearly six in ten people would be unwilling to accept reduced British control over laws and regulations in return for greater access to the EU’s Single Market.
Just 27 per cent said they would be willing to give up some UK legislative authority in exchange for closer Single Market access, while 14 per cent were undecided.
The findings come as Labour ministers continue to pursue what they describe as an “EU reset”, aimed at strengthening Britain’s relationship with Brussels. Critics argue that deeper alignment with EU rules risks gradually eroding some of the freedoms and powers regained when Britain formally left the bloc.
The question put to respondents asked: “To what extent would you be willing or unwilling to accept less power for the UK over laws and rules that apply here, in return for the UK to be granted greater access to the EU’s single market?”
The results suggest that, despite ongoing political debate about Britain’s future relationship with Europe, support for maintaining sovereign control over British law remains strong across the country.
Across every major demographic group examined, more respondents opposed surrendering powers than supported doing so.
Among men, 61 per cent said they would be unwilling to accept less UK control over laws and regulations, compared with 57 per cent of women.
Regional figures also showed significant resistance to any move that would require Britain to submit once again to EU rule-making. Half of those surveyed in London opposed the idea, while opposition rose to 64 per cent in the Midlands, 56 per cent in northern England and 63 per cent in southern England.
The survey also highlighted differences based on educational attainment. Among those holding GCSE-level qualifications, 71 per cent said they would be unwilling to exchange sovereignty for Single Market access. That figure stood at 61 per cent among those with A-level qualifications and 46 per cent among university graduates.
Although graduates were more likely than other groups to support closer integration, opposition still outweighed support within that category.
The poll was conducted on May 25 and 26.
Britain Unbound, a cross-party organisation which campaigns for Britain’s continued independence from the European Union, said the results demonstrated that public opinion remains firmly behind the principle of self-government.
Steve Wright, director of Britain Unbound, said: “This polling result is a damning indictment of the policy of the current UK Government and demonstrates the need for organisations like Britain Unbound to offset the disservice currently being provided by this Government to the British people.”
Among those backing the campaign is Maurice Glasman, who argued that Brexit still offers significant opportunities for the country.
“The British people are waiting for a government that pursues the great possibilities that Brexit opens up for national renewal,” he said.
John Redwood, co-chairman of Britain Unbound’s advisory council, welcomed the findings.
“Good to see the public recognise the EU reset as a dreadful deal for the UK,” he said.
“We would sacrifice powers to set our own laws and taxes, pay them money we cannot afford and get no benefits for the sacrifice.
“We will not grow faster by imposing EU laws and taxes, only to import more as the EU burdens hit our factories and farms.”
Meanwhile, Claire Fox criticised what she described as attempts to move decision-making away from democratic scrutiny.
“As a legislator, it is exasperating that our own governments try to pass laws that hand powers to the executive to avoid parliamentary and popular accountability,” she said.
“Politicians can’t shake off the bad habits they learnt in Brussels.
“This Government’s anti-democratic instincts go further – to ring-fence, hide, even wrench back control of law-making in the morass of EU regulation and then casually impose new laws on voters and hope they don’t notice.
“They do notice and know this is a slap across the public’s face. Britain Unbound has exposed this grubby secret at the heart of the Labour Government’s ‘EU reset’ project.”
The polling is likely to intensify debate over Britain’s future relationship with the European Union, particularly as senior Labour figures including Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham have previously suggested that rejoining the EU could become a political objective in the future.
Ten years after the Brexit referendum, the survey suggests that a substantial majority of voters remain reluctant to exchange Britain’s ability to make its own laws for closer integration with Brussels.
