More than half of NI voters believe UK should rejoin EU, new poll suggests

More than half of voters in Northern Ireland believe the UK should rejoin the European Union a decade after the Brexit referendum, a new opinion poll has suggested. More than three quarters of respondents to the new Queen’s University Belfast poll also welcome the prospect of an upcoming EU-UK summit agreeing to reduce checks and controls on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. The results of the latest public opinion polling, conducted for the university by LucidTalk, also indicate that support for the Windsor Framework continues to weaken, with 45% regarding it as “on balance a good thing for Northern Ireland”, its lowest level since June 2021.

Only 44% of respondents to the poll believe the Windsor Framework is an appropriate means of managing the effects of Brexit on the region, a decline from 60% in February 2024. The academics behind the poll said the findings highlight continuing divisions over the post-Brexit settlement and growing concerns about its economic, constitutional and political consequences. The Windsor Framework is the post-Brexit deal between the UK and the EU aimed at reducing trading frictions between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Next week Prime Minister Andy Burnham will travel to Brussels for a UK-EU summit where he is expected to sign new agreements on food and energy. Prime Minister Andy Burnham will attend a UK-EU summit next week Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA The Queen’s University report is the 16th in the Testing The Temperature series on views on Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol/Windsor Framework led by Professor David Phinnemore and Professor Katy Hayward.

The latest poll was conducted by LucidTalk between October 23-26, using a weighted sample of 1,050 respondents from across Northern Ireland. According to the results, 77% of respondents believe there is a need for a “serious dialogue” about the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU. Voters in Northern Ireland generally welcome the prospect of the UK having a closer relationship with the EU Professor David Phinnemore However, 69% of respondents said they do not believe there is sufficient information available to facilitate an informed public debate on options for the UK-EU relationship.

Almost two-thirds of respondents (63%) think that Brexit has been more disruptive than they anticipated in 2016. The poll suggests that 52% of voters in Northern Ireland agree that the UK should rejoin the EU and assume the same obligations as other member states, with 38% opposed. Support for the UK rejoining the EU is highest among SDLP (88%), Sinn Féin (86%) and Alliance (83%) voters. TUV voters (92%) are most opposed to the UK rejoining the EU, followed by DUP (84%) and then UUP (63%) voters.

The report also shows that respondents continue to view the impact of the Windsor Framework on political stability in Northern Ireland as being more negative (49%), compared with 28% who see a positive impact. It also suggests more voters continue to see the impact of the Windsor Framework on Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market as negative (44%) rather than positive (27%). Prof Phinnemore said: “Voters in Northern Ireland generally welcome the prospect of the UK having a closer relationship with the EU.

“But with the UK Prime Minister keen to have a ‘serious dialogue’ on where next, it is striking how few, 16%, believe that politicians will be able to debate options in an informed manner. “Most respondents do not regard Brexit as having been good for the UK. “It certainly appears that it has done little to improve trust in politics.” As the UK Government seeks closer cooperation with the EU that brings tangible benefits, it will be hoping pragmatism outweighs Brexit purism among Leave voters Professor Katy Hayward Professor Katy Hayward said: “Our findings suggest that opposition to the Windsor Framework is driven less by resistance to practical cooperation with the EU than by concerns about Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.

“Reducing GB-NI trade barriers through UK-EU agreement attracts support even among those who remain firmly pro-Brexit. “As the UK Government seeks closer cooperation with the EU that brings tangible benefits, it will be hoping pragmatism outweighs Brexit purism among Leave voters.”