EUROSCEPTICISM UNVEILED A Comparative Analysis of Pre-Brexit and Post-Brexit Dynamics in the UK

Sammanfattning: Numerous factors have been identified as to why a small majority voted in favour of Brexit in June 2016. Since then, it has been argued that the opinion on EU membership has changed amongst some of the public in the United Kingdom and if a referendum were to occur in present days, there would rather be a majority in favour of rejoining the EU. However, the question remains as to what factors have contributed to this shift. In line with the benchmark theory and with the assertion that when people perceive the economy as declining, they tend to shift their opinion on EU membership. Support is found for this argument by analysing data from wave 23 of the British Election Study, as well as for the argument that people who find immigration more beneficial to the economy are more inclined to wanting to rejoin the EU, even though they voted to leave in 2016.