30 March 2017

Ipsos Mori: Public concern about Europe/Brexit rises to a new high and becomes the top issue facing Britain

The March 2017 Ipsos MORI/Economist Issues Index shows a new record in the proportion who see the EU/Brexit as one of the biggest issues facing Britain. Half (51%) now cite it as an issue, six percentage points higher than February and the highest score since records began in September 1974.

Concern about the EU/Brexit is now six percentage points greater than worries about the NHS (45% this month), making it the biggest issue facing Britain. This is only the second time that the EU/Brexit has been the biggest issue facing Britain; the first time this happened was in November 2016.

Further, one third (36%) of the public name Brexit as the single biggest issue facing Britain – a seven percentage point rise from last month’s score, and twenty-three percentage points higher than the next single biggest issue – the NHS, on 13%.

Concern about the EU and Brexit is the clear biggest issue for those from social grades AB and C1 – 68% of the former group and 54% of the latter consider it to be one of the biggest issue facing Britain. Additionally, amongst age groups within these grades it is more than ten percentage points ahead of the next biggest issue (the NHS).

For those from social grades C2 and DE, the NHS is of equal or greater concern; 45% of C2s see the NHS as a big issue, compared to 42% who say the same for the EU/Brexit, and for DEs the figures are 38% and 35%.

Full data

© Ipsos MORI