‘The referendum brought to the fore many of the social, political and economic divides in the UK that had long gone unaddressed or even unnoticed.’
This is from the January 2018 report (pdf) from the UK in a Changing Europe on Brexit and Public Opinion.
The UK in a Changing Europe’s analysis of public opinion on Brexit-related issues describes a ‘complex and messy’ picture of voting patterns according to age, ethnicity, socio-economic class, political party affiliation, location and religion.
In a collection of studies, the report authors argue that:
- While a voter was 10% more likely to vote Leave if they were working class, age was a clearer indicator of how people voted
- The referendum has had significant implications for Britain’s ethnic minorities, such as an increase in racial violence
- While religion was unlikely to be decisive in the referendum, Anglicans (the UK’s largest religious group) have a historic predisposition to be Eurosceptic and so were more likely to support Brexit
- Voters are likely to switch to political parties that best represent their views on Brexit
- The big cities were the strongest base for Remain while towns and less urbanised areas largely voted Leave
- Opinions about the EU were fundamentally about people’s identity
Read the full report: ‘Brexit and Public Opinion’ (pdf)
