Three-quarters ‘not willing to lose money as a result of Brexit’
MORE than three-quarters of people in Wales are not willing to lose any money at all as a result of Brexit, new polling reveals.
Pollsters YouGov asked people how much they would be willing to be worse off in order for the UK to leave the EU.
The overwhelming majority (76%) said they were not “willing to lose any money at all”.
However, 7% of people said they would be willing to be worse off by £20 a month. Three per cent were prepared to lose more than £200 a month to see Brexit happen.
The poll was commissioned by the pro-EU group Wales for Europe.
Among those who voted Leave in the 2016 referendum, 55% were unwilling to be worse off, whether in terms of income, taxes or prices.
Those aged 25-49 were most resistant to losing out. More than eight out of 10 (83%) were not willing to lose any money, compared with 64% of those aged 65-plus.
Helen Birtwhistle, director of Wales For Europe, said: “These results demonstrate that the commitment of Leave voters to Brexit is not deep, and may well be changing as the full economic effects of Brexit become clearer. As the cost of living rises for families in Wales, we are all feeling the pinch.
“At the same time, the confusion over next steps in the Brexit process, combined with a growing realisation of the EU membership benefits Wales stands to lose, mean that people are reassessing their commitment to Brexit.
“These poll figures warn us that many Welsh people who backed Brexit could feel intensely disillusioned in the coming months as the cost mounts.”
The poll comes in the same week that the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, warned there was “deadlock” in the talks with the UK over the exit bill Britain will have to settle. Key negotiations on the UK’s future trading relationship with the EU cannot begin until the issue of Britain’s financial commitments is resolved.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, has insisted the UK will “have to pay”.
Neil Hamilton, the leader of Ukip in the National Assembly, compared Mr Juncker to a “highwayman” and called for the UK to walk away from the negotiations.
He said: “He is little more than a highwayman, demanding that Britain ‘stand and deliver’ before we achieve Brexit. Juncker and his eurocrats seek to humiliate the UK in order to terrorise other countries which would benefit from jumping ship too.
“The ransom demand of Juncker and co should be rejected outright. Since 1973, Britain has paid £500bn into the EU coffers, which they have then spent on other EU countries. Enough is enough.
“We should stop this farcical non-negotiation now and start real negotiation with the US, Canada, India, China, Australia etc to open up our markets worldwide.”
A Welsh Rally for Europe will be taking place in Queen Street, Cardiff today at 12.30pm.