LONDON - Nothing has divided the British public more painfully than the decision to leave the European Union, according to the Economist.
Family members and friends fell out over their opposing views of the Brexit referendum. The years of political and economic uncertainty that followed, along with the “hard” version of divorce from the EU that eventually resulted, have cost Britain dearly.
A majority of British voters now believe the split was a mistake.
It is rare for voters to change their minds soon after referendums. Experience from Canada to Scotland, from Norway to Switzerland, suggests rather that opinions tend to move in favour of a referendum result more than they swing against it.
But Brexit seems to be an exception. Since the 52-48% vote in favour of leaving the European Union in June 2016, the majority view among Britons has shifted, and especially so in the past two years, towards the conclusion that the decision was wrong.
