Leaving the EU, not the European model? New findings on public attitudes to Brexit (part one)

Article

As the UK and the EU move to the next stage of the Article 50 negotiations, the UK faces a fundamental choice over the type of country it wants to be post-Brexit. Should it continue to align with EU rules and regulations – such as EU-derived consumer, financial, employment, environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards – or should it opt to diverge from this legislation and move away from Europe’s economic and social model?

This choice is critical to the shape of the Brexit negotiations, given that it is clear that the scope of any trade agreement with the EU is contingent on the extent of future regulatory alignment. It also goes to the heart of the UK’s domestic policy agenda. The UK’s future economic and social model will apply to nearly every aspect of our lives – from what we consume to how we work; from the products we buy to the air we breathe.

In a series of two briefings, we will explore the public’s perspective on this choice now facing the government by detailing the results of new polling on attitudes to EU rules and a range of critical Brexit trade-offs now facing the country. Our first briefing will focus on public attitudes to a number of different consumer, financial, employment and environmental standards that originate from EU law.

Related items

  1. A wind farm in the hills to the south of Glasgow, Scotland.

    Apathy and opposition: Understanding the real threats to net zero

    Climate action is under siege from populist and far-right actors. Delivering under that pressure demands fresh confidence and commitment from government. 
  2. A flood warning sign, on a closed country road next to water logged fields in the Avon Valley, Hampshire, England

    Adapt or die: Why progressives need to deal with extreme weather

    The impacts of extreme weather are already directly affecting people and communities across the UK. We lack ways to deal with this. 
  3. The outside of the BBC building in London with people walking in front of it

    Levelling the playing field: The BBC, Big Tech, and the case for a bold charter

    The upcoming charter renewal is the moment to give the BBC the resources, freedom and mission it needs to engage with technology firms on its own terms.