Brexit tribes: Are you a Re-Leaver?
UK no longer divided simply into Brexiters and Remainers, says YouGov poll
They call themselves the "48 per cent", but anti-Brexit activists may be more alone than they realise, according to new data, which suggests almost half of Remain voters back Brexit.
Who are the 'Re-Leavers'?
According to a study by polling firm YouGov, 23 per cent of former Remain voters believe the government has a duty to carry out the will of the people - even if many still believe leaving the EU is the wrong decision - while only 22 per cent still want to see Brexit halted.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Combined with the 45 per cent of respondents who voted Leave and are still confident in their decision, the survey indicates that more than two-thirds of the electorate favour leaving the EU, even though some think it is a mistake to do so.
What does it mean for the general election?
YouGov's polll "breaks the myth that almost half the country are desperate to see the referendum result blocked", says the Daily Mail - and that has significant ramifications for next month's snap general election.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats had hoped to pick up the Remain vote, but "when it comes to the Re-Leavers, the Tories secure 45 per cent of the vote and have a 10-point lead over Labour", the Financial Times reports.
To put it another way: "Conservatives are fishing in a massive lake, while the other parties are casting their rods into a pond," says YouGov.
"Ukip stands to lose the most from this migration," says the Huffington Post, but Labour also stands to lose "a significant number of votes" to the Tories.
What are the other Brexit tribes?
The Re-Leavers join other newly created "tribes" which have emerged as the Brexit debate reshapes the UK's political landscape.
Hard Leavers: There's no like-for-like deal on trade or borders for these voters, hardline Leavers will only be content with a clean break from Brussels.
Although they were considered fringe radicals in the run-up to the referendum, "Brextremists" have since hijacked the process, The Guardian's Polly Toynbee claimed earlier this year.
"Before the referendum they said we’d stay in the single market and customs union," she said. "Now the fanatics go much further, normalising the notion of no deal at all."
With its original purpose now on its way, Ukip is attempting to carve out a niche as the party of the Hard Leavers, with leader Paul Nuttall saying the Eurosceptic party is still needed to prevent Tory "backsliding" on hard Brexit principles such as leaving the single market and assuming total control of UK borders.
Die-hard Remainers: Often labelled "Remoaners" by their pro-Brexit adversaries, die-hard Remainers believe Brexit can and should be stopped.
The Lib Dems had hoped their strong anti-Brexit stance would draw away millions of Remain voters turned off by Labour's perceived ambivalence on the topic, but that has so far failed to materialise.
The rise of the Re-Leavers "explains why the Liberal Democrats have struggled to make a breakthrough in what would seem like favourable conditions", says the Financial Times.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - October 23, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - loving thy neighbour, an HR matter, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Giuliani must hand assets to women he defamed
Speed Read The former New York City mayor must turn over his apartment and other possessions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Abercrombie ex-CEO charged with sex crimes
Speed Read Mike Jeffries ran the brand during its heyday from 1992 to 2014
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The Tamils stranded on 'secretive' British island in Indian Ocean
Under the Radar Migrants 'unlawfully detained' since 2021 shipwreck on UK-controlled Diego Garcia, site of important US military base
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Britain's Labour Party wins in a landslide
Speed Read The Conservatives were unseated after 14 years of rule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Will voter apathy and low turnout blight the election?
Today's Big Question Belief that result is 'foregone conclusion', or that politicians can't be trusted, could exacerbate long-term turnout decline
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published