Britain should be offered tough Brexit deal, say voters in EU

Voters in France, Germany, Spain and Italy are more likely to say the UK should be offered a tough Brexit deal, rather than favourable terms, according to a survey that reveals the gulf in expectations between Britain and the continent.

A poll by Ipsos-Mori showed that 39% of French people think the EU should offer the UK unfavourable terms, compared with only 19% that wanted a favourable deal. This pattern was replicated in Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium, albeit with those wanting tougher terms having a narrower lead.

Unsurprisingly, Britons were the most likely to say the EU should offer a good deal (56%), although a striking minority (16%) thought the EU should offer unattractive terms. In contrast, only a quarter of voters in Spain, Italy and Germany think the UK should get favourable terms, a factor that is likely to influence national leaders as they prepare for divorce talks with the British.

The poll also revealed mixed feelings about Britain’s decision to leave. Almost half of Swedes (48%) reported feeling sad about Brexit, a proportion only exceeded by Britons, where 49% were sad – a near-perfect overlap with remain voters. The French were the least likely to shed a tear: only 25% said they were sad about the result.

Brexit may also have knocked Britain’s international appeal. A quarter of respondents on the continent said they were less likely to visit the UK after the decision to quit the EU, while a similar amount were less likely to buy British goods and services. But two-thirds of people said the Brexit vote made no difference on these issues.

Unsurprisingly, countries outside the EU were less concerned about Brexit, although 35% thought it was the wrong decision for Britain. Russians were the most bullish: 54% said it was the right decision for Britain, a view shared by only 38% of Brits.

The pollsters interviewed 12,525 adults of working age in 16 countries between 24 June and 8 July.