How do people feel about Brexit three years on? - BBC Newsnight

foreign looking out on the high seas a small corner of England where morning rituals play out Roka beach in Sunderland a city which found itself at the center of the world so let's have let's go straight to Sunderland the total number of votes cast in favor of leave was 82 000. when it became the first big UK City to declare for leave braving the cold so how is that decision going down I thought it was a bad idea and I can see why people were convinced by Boris and you know the various things that were said like 350 million per week for NHS which hasn't happened don't know that's made a huge difference to my life I thought it was a good idea at the time and I still think it's a good idea just a complete disaster what's happening I thought we would get a hit for at least a year to two years then the actual the UK would eventually come back to us and we'd be a rich country but it's it just hasn't happened so mixed views and a sense of a country in limbo the UK was not keen then and is still not keen now on the consequences of being in the EU free movement and not having full control over our laws but as we learn about brexit the UK appears not to be wildly keen on the consequences of being out friction in trade and difficult relations with our neighbors across the channel a pattern is emerging a long-running poll which asks whether it was right or wrong to leave suggests that many more think it was wrong now by 54 to 34. and that thinking now includes nearly a fifth of levers prompting talk of regret a growing sense of unease but we're not reaching for the EU bunting so there's absolutely no doubt that people think it has gone badly um around 60 of people say that uh the impact on the economy has been worse than they expected a significant amount say the same for public services say the same for imports and exports but that does not quite equate to wanting to open the whole can of worms all over again yes people say it's gone badly but they're not necessarily keen on either going back into the EU or indeed having a second referendum last week a seasoned politician on the leave side and my still a brexite here yes was I naive in thinking that events wouldn't get in the way of a perfect separation absolutely I'm I I'm guilty of that now less certain about that decision though sensing New Hope about brexit it's been very difficult hasn't it um I think it would have been far more successful without obviously covid Ukraine zero covered in China I call them the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and I was certainly riding with one of them as a brexit supporter I mean I think there is opportunity I I'm pleased that uh Richie sunac the Prime Minister a macro seemed to be building a relationship they have negotiated free trade with economies worth 30 two senior figures making their case in the referendum certain then it's simply nonsense the EU has failed on trade they seem to want to take a huge risk with the employment prospects of millions of people and certain now about where we are less well off with fewer opportunities for many people I think it was a sold on a lie and I think the people that are now the brexiteers in government are discovering that all their Breezy optimism and their three-word slogans aren't deliverable in reality and so I think we've got to think very carefully about what the role of the country is now we'd cut ourselves adrift in this way um in trade terms in how we deal with our economy and how we integrate in a way that will give us the best chance to have growth again in the future I was so certain and remain so certain that the UK's future lies outside of the EU so it was the greatest pleasure and privilege to be able to make that case to the British public with No Holds Barred you know why why should we leave well here's why we should leave and so for me I was absolutely passionate about it and still remain the same today so I think it's it is going to be the best decision we ever made and it it does always take time particularly with the horrendous you know the pandemic and Putin's aggression and the cost of living crisis and energy prices for the SNP brexit has provided grounds for another vote on Scottish independence from a UK perspective the EU referendum is a standalone event from a Scottish perspective it's intricately linked with the independence referendum that was just 18 months later so there's been a material change in circumstance that is obvious the UK that a lot of people in Scotland voted to stick with doesn't exist anymore the UK economy in 2016 was 90 the size of the German economy it's now 70 the size of the German economy now that's not because Germany has been running away buying lots of buns having a great time it's because the UK has slid back and has demonstrably the sick man of Europe and we can escape that with Independence for Scotland and Europe in the original home of brexit and across the UK Reflections about that momentous decision little Prospect of a U-turn in this generation but uncertainty about the journey ahead

Channel: BBC News

Views: 1,320,418

Keywords: bbc, bbc news, news

Id: KloM9uVcIOY

Length: 6min 12sec (372 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 31 2023