NatCen: Voters want UK to stay in the EU single market but be able to control immigration

16 November 2016

Almost everyone (90%) supports remaining part of the European single market, regardless of how they voted in the EU Referendum, according to a new report published today by NatCen Social Research.

But at the same time as many as seven in ten (70%) think the UK should be able to limit the number of people from the EU who come here to live and work. Indeed, almost three-quarters (74%) believe that potential EU migrants should have to apply to come here in the same way non-EU migrants have to do.

Today’s paper, the most comprehensive study yet undertaken of public attitudes towards the shape that Brexit should take and published as part of the ESRC-funded What UK Thinks: EU project, shows that Leave voters (90% in favour) are almost as keen as Remain voters (94%) on staying in the single market. 

Meanwhile, although less than the figure for Leave voters (85%), over half (55%) of Remain supporters are in favour of the UK being able to limit EU immigration.

The results, which come from NatCen’s new methodologically rigorous panel survey, show widespread support both for measures that are often labelled a ‘soft’ Brexit and for those that are widely considered to form part of a ‘hard’ Brexit.

On possible options for a ‘soft’ Brexit

• EU regulations: nearlytwo-thirds (65%) of all voters, including over half of Leave voters (55%), think British firms should continue to comply with EU regulations on the design and safety of goods.
• Bank passporting: almost two-thirds (63%) of all voters, including 57% of Leave supporters, think EU banks should be allowed to do business in the UK in return for UK banks being able to do the same in the EU.
• Common fisheries: three in five (60%) of all voters, including a half (50%) of Leave voters, think that EU fishermen should still be able to work in British waters in return for UK fishermen being able to fish in EU waters.  

And on possibilities for a ‘hard’ Brexit

• Customs checks: At least seven in ten (71%), including 55% of Remain voters, back reintroducing customs checks on people and goods coming into the UK from the EU.
• Free healthcare for EU visitors: At least three in five (62%) voters, including nearly half (48%) of Remain supporters, favour ending free NHS healthcare for people visiting from the EU.
• Passport checks between UK and Ireland: Although less than half (45%) of all voters in Britain support introducing passport checks between the UK and Ireland, only 29% are opposed. The remainder (25%) are neither in favour nor against.  

Where Remain and Leave voters do disagree is on the relative importance of retaining access to the single market versus being able to limit immigration. While 70% of Remain voters think the UK should ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ allow freedom of movement for EU citizens if that were the only way to keep free trade with the EU, 70% of Leave voters say the government ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ should not strike such a deal. As a result, voters as a whole are evenly divided on the issue, with 49% thinking we should allow freedom of movement if it enables the UK to keep free trade, and 51% not.

Full report

© NatCen