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Brexit HAS failed say thousands of Mirror readers in new poll

26 May 2023 , 09:00
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What do YOU think? Do you agree with thousands of Mirror readers that Brexit has failed? (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
What do YOU think? Do you agree with thousands of Mirror readers that Brexit has failed? (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Thousands of Mirror readers say Brexit has been a failure, with just a couple of hundred believing it a good move.

In our poll, an overwhelming 2,926 condemned the UK's withdrawal from the EU, with a mere 219 backing it. The outpouring of dismay comes after former UKIP leader Nigel Farage admitted Brexit was floundering, before blaming inept Tories for mishandling the process.

Farage told BBC2’s Newsnight: “What I do think is that we haven’t actually benefited from Brexit, economically, what we could have done. What Brexit has proved, I’m afraid, is that our politicians are about as useless as the commissioners in Brussels were.

“We have mismanaged this totally and if you look at simple things such as takeovers, such as corporation tax, we are driving business away from our country. Arguably, now we’re back in control we are regulating our own businesses even more than they were as EU members.

“Brexit has failed ... the Tories have let us down very, very badly.”

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But, challenged by TV host Victoria Derbyshire that “economically, the UK would have been better off staying in [the EU]”, the former MEP insisted: “I don’t think that for a moment.”

With spiralling inflation, labour shortages, poor economic growth and a lack of trade deals, it's perhaps hard for many to paint Brexit as anything other than a catastrophic failure. Life outside the EU has been far from plain sailing since a majority of voters said the UK should leave in 2016.

Yet despite life being pretty dire for many of us, huge swathes staunchly believe that officially withdrawing in 2020 was the right decision - and blame issues the country has faced since then on coronavirus, the war in Ukraine and a failure to properly implement Brexit and take advantage of potential openings.

Our initial story attracted more than 160 comments. Here's what some of you had to say.

'Brexit was sold on Conservative's lies. It was so obviously going to be a disaster'

Marial466: "Of course Brexit failed. Anyone with a bit of clout would have realised that! But then again the same people who voted to come out have now realised it was a complete waste of time - not to mention the amount of money it has cost.

"And it's all because people were sold on the lies regarding immigration! The ridiculous amount it cost to leave could have been spent on NHS and housing among many other services. I voted to remain. So all the people who foolishly voted out only have themselves to blame."

HaveAWordWithYourself: "Anyone who thought this man [Farage] had the intellect to lead and advise on what the UK needed deserved everything they got. Not an ounce of intelligence, just hatred and empty promises. He's trying to distance himself now, just like we all said he would."

Ctctheman: "Brexit was sold on Conservative's lies. It was so obviously going to be a disaster when you ditch our biggest economic neighbours.

"We were promised less red tape and now it seems sending a parcel is shrouded in red tape, plus British people are no longer able to travel freely to the EU. Anyone with an ounce of brain cells could see it for what it was. The vote was unfair as well, because so few voted, so didn't represent the whole nation, it should have been a mandatory vote."

Cy777: "Everything seemed ok while the country was still in the EU. Now everything is unimaginably expensive. It wasn’t a wise move."

Mystic Mag's 2023 predictions include strikes, sleaze, self pity and separationMystic Mag's 2023 predictions include strikes, sleaze, self pity and separation

MichaelBB: "The establishment doesn't want Brexit to succeed. It means they must start making decisions and be accountable."

Ropic: "It certainty failed abysmally. It's not just lying politicians, it's also down to those that voted and are still in denial."

Renta: "It never got off the ground, did it? A total mistake by the Little Englanders."

'Leaving Europe was the correct direction for this country!'

JerryMyer: "It took 40 years to establish the EU in Britain. Trying to assess if leaving was good or bad after a couple of years is utter nonsense!"

JohnThompson8: "Leaving Europe was the correct direction for this country! The implementation of the process was a complete failure - we should have left immediately and not paid them any more money ... the easy route isn't always the correct route."

Rupert Marks: "It hasn't failed. It just hasn't been a great success."

What do YOU think? Do you agree with thousands of Mirror readers that Brexit has failed?

Paul Speed

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