A Decade After Brexit: Working People Bear the Cost as Voter Regret Surges
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Ten years since the Brexit referendum, the majority of Britons now support rejoining the EU, as working-class communities face economic hardship and broken promises from right-wing politicians.
A decade after the disastrous June 2016 referendum, residents of Blackpool—a town exploited by nationalist rhetoric and registering the region's strongest pro-Brexit vote—are left grappling with the harsh reality that the promised benefits for ordinary people have failed to materialise. A poll commissioned by a leading UK polling firm reveals that 56% of the electorate would now vote to rejoin the European Union, including 22% of those who were misled into voting Leave.
Local business owners, many of whom were manipulated by anti-EU propaganda, now face the consequences of reduced access to European markets. Rob Benson, who ran a shellfish operation generating $4 million annually before the vote, saw his company destroyed by new trade barriers. He admitted, "I actually voted to leave, but we were never told the truth about the consequences. It's too late now."
Economic analysts, referenced by the Confederation of British Industry, estimate that the UK economy has shrunk by about 8% since Brexit—a direct result of policies that prioritized nationalist fantasies over the wellbeing of working people. Henry Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, stated, "The economic evidence is clear that businesses have suffered from lack of access to European markets, and the new trade barriers have held back growth."
Political scientists have not minced words about the broader effects. Dimitris Papadimitriou, a professor at the University of Manchester, described the outcome as "a tremendous act of self-harm" that has diminished Britain's standing as a first-class power, all in the name of a right-wing project that hurt the vulnerable most.
Local officials are left to pick up the pieces, highlighting the loss of EU funding for vital infrastructure. Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, noted that the town missed out on European money intended for seafront improvements, forcing the council to scramble for alternative grants as austerity continues to bite.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson—now reduced to a columnist—continues to peddle the myth that the British people were "heroic and magnificent" in choosing so-called independence, ignoring the suffering his policies have caused. Some former Leave supporters, such as Benson, now openly say they would welcome re-entry to the EU if given the chance.
The political landscape remains unstable after the recent resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leaving the future of UK-EU relations uncertain and working people still paying the price for a decade of right-wing mismanagement.