Happiness level hits record high year after vote

HAPPINESS and contentment among people in England increased to record levels in the year after the Brexit vote, according to figures published yesterday.

Far from fretting, there is convincing evidence of rising happiness, satisfaction with life and feelings that life is worthwhile in the 12 months since the June 2016 vote.

The rankings are from the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Population Survey, which questions more than 300,000 people on their sense of wellbeing. The measures for satisfaction with life, happiness and how worthwhile they feel their lives are all significantly higher than June 2016.

Broadly, happiness levels rose to the end of 2014, and then stalled for two years, until they began to climb after June 2016.

The figure for national anxiety measure is also improved.

The ONS said high employment may have contributed to the happiness improvement, alongside other economic good news.

IN the real world beyond the Westminster bubble, meanwhile, the prospects for postBrexit Britain look brighter by the day.

First, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross confirms that America is keen to bolster our partnership with an ‘historic’ trade deal, while rightly condemning the EU’s ‘extreme protectionism’.

Now food and retail giant ABF – whose brands include Primark, Twinings, Kingsmill and Ryvita – hails ‘significant opportunities’ to boost food exports and benefit UK consumers after withdrawal.

For good measure, the Government’s happiness index shows England’s satisfaction with life has risen to record levels since the Brexit vote.

It’s a different picture on the continent, where the German army is so nervous of looming tensions in the EU that it has prepared a study warning the bloc could lose global competitiveness and disintegrate.

Indeed, there are ever more reasons to believe Britain made the right decision last year. Politicians will not be lightly forgiven if they let Brexit’s wonderful opportunities slip through their fingers.