10 Years After Brexit: 60% of British Gen Z Want Another Vote

On June 23 (local time), the United Kingdom marked the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum in which it decided to leave the European Union (EU).

Since choosing "Brexit" on June 23, 2016, with 51.9% voting to leave and 48.1% to remain, the UK has experienced a decade of upheaval, during which six prime ministers resigned and the political landscape was drastically reshaped.

Since then, arguments surrounding Brexit have remained sharply divided, ranging from calls to rejoin the EU to assessments that leaving was the right decision.

A survey released on Tuesday also showed that Generation Z, most of whom did not have the right to vote 10 years ago, view Brexit negatively and hope to rejoin.

According to the daily newspaper The Guardian and the think tank More in Common, 50.2% of British respondents aged 18 to 28 said Brexit was a "failure," while only 16.1% called it a "success."

Additionally, 61.9% believed a second referendum is necessary, and 59.8% hoped to rejoin.

In a survey released on June 9 by polling firm YouGov, 57% of respondents also said that "leaving was wrong."

The response that "leaving was the right decision" stood at 30%.

John Curtice, a British polling expert and professor at the University of Strathclyde, pointed out that the shift in public opinion is driven by young people who have reached adulthood since the Brexit referendum.

At a conference hosted by the think tank "UK in a Changing Europe" (UKICE), he analyzed that the shift in public opinion from "52% leave, 48% remain" to "60% in favor of rejoining, 40% opposed" could partly be because leave voters changed their minds, but it could also be due to the generation that was too young to vote in 2016 but became eligible voters over the past decade.

Evaluations and debates over the 10 years since the Brexit decision also continued in political circles.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan of the Labour Party, who actively campaigned to remain during the referendum, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Brexit was a colossal act of economic self-harm.

It damaged growth, reduced opportunities, and made our country poorer," arguing that "10 years on, in an unstable world, the case for Britain rejoining the EU is stronger than ever."

Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party who spearheaded the leave campaign, wrote on X: "Ten years ago today, the British people voted to take their country back, causing a massive upheaval. However, the political establishment betrayed Britain and failed to deliver a proper Brexit."

Eurosceptics argue that the deterioration of economic indicators after Brexit, such as the slowdown in UK goods trade and investment, is not due to the decision to leave itself, but rather because the government failed to implement it properly.

There were also arguments that the rise of right-wing forces poses a threat to national security, which must be overcome through cooperation with Europe.

In an op-ed for the daily Telegraph, Nick Thomas-Symonds, Minister for the Cabinet Office, emphasized, "Allowing Eurosceptics like Farage, who have consistently supported Russia, to act as a balance of power is a threat to national security," adding, "Britain must cooperate with the EU to stand against Putin (the Russian President)."

Following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement of his resignation the previous day due to pressure within the ruling Labour Party, attention is focused on the next government's policy direction and its relationship with the EU.

Through its 2024 general election pledges, the Starmer government set rejoining the EU, the customs union, and the single market as "red lines." However, it has pursued various agreements under the stance of "resetting relations" by significantly strengthening cooperation with the EU in the fields of economy and security.

However, immediately after Prime Minister Starmer announced his resignation, European Council President António Costa stated that the summit with the UK would have to be postponed and that they are reviewing a new date.

Member of Parliament Andy Burnham, who is considered a leading candidate for the next prime minister, campaigned to remain during the referendum. However, since being touted as a potential next prime minister, he drew a line, saying, "Now is not the time to discuss rejoining."

Lord David Frost, who served as the chief Brexit negotiator under the Conservative government from 2019 to 2020, argued at the UKICE conference that "I don't think they've thought it through," claiming that if Burnham becomes the next prime minister, he would have to abandon much of the Starmer cabinet's "relationship reset" efforts.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.