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Brexit Poll: Immigration vs Free Trade - What is more important?
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 @ 12:45 PM

A large majority of the Uk population think that it is important that Britain retains access to the single market after we leave the European Union. It would, however, be wrong to necessarily interpret this as a public appetite for Britain staying within the single market through an EFTA type relationship. Polls also consistently show that people think it is important that Britain has full control over immigration once we leave the European Union, something that is normally seen as being incompatible with single market membership.

When asked a direct question on which they would choose - 16% said control of immigration, 24% said free trade with Europe, but 40% said it was a false choice and Britain could have both. It looks like they will be disappointed.

When the 40% were asked what they would prefer if they were forced to choose, they split evenly between immigration and trade. Combine those two questions together and it means more people are concerned about trade than immigration, but either way, getting one without the other is going to disappoint some voters who think it should be possible to deliver both. What do you think?

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15 Comments

jeffsears said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 9:05 AM

A trick question. The ability to control our own affairs is the most important result of Brexit. Immigration is an important factor because of the unplanned demands it can put on health, housing, schools etc. Free trade with the rest of the world not just the EU is also an important factor.

cuius said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 9:17 AM

Immigration will only be "controlled" when there are Brexiteers queuing to take minimum-wage jobs in agriculture, construction, health care, sanitation, etc.

midasgold said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 9:40 AM

The ONLY question of any importance is - do you want full control of ALL your affairs ? - Not just trade or immigration.

macsco said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 10:11 AM

As said this is not a trade or immigration issue, it is getting out of a Beurocratic system that it hell bent on political union in a Federal state with no regard to the issues that really matter. Chronic unemployment, a Euro that is failing, a creaking Banking system no control over external borders......I could go on forever...Let's just say Brexit is the UK saviour.

delcomusic said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 11:05 AM

Quite strange in my opinion that people reading this - who are presumably at least part time immigrants into Spain - are more worried about immigration into the UK than anything else. Double standards?

Graham Powell said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 12:13 PM

Just two days in this looking like the disaster many predicted. Britain will come out of these negotiations with precious little placing all of our futures in jeopardy!

wilj said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 12:28 PM

The EU is in a mess how can you ever get an agreement on anything when you only need one countries veto to stop progress.We in the UK are better off out. Further more the British expats pump literally billions of pounds/euros in to the Spanish economy every single year. Is the Spanish government going to be foolish enough to say we don't need your money. I don't think so.

observing said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 12:43 PM

Speaking as an EU enthusiast, if I lived in Britain, I might have voted out on the immigration issue.

On the other hand, it's a pity the UK left because they could have helped to stop the federalist agenda of some, ensure that Frontex is powerful enough to independently control the external borders (i.e. it does not have to listen to the Greeks and others to do its job), push some EU members to beef up and integrate their armies etc etc. Like many others, I am now looking forward to a Polish and Hungarian exit, 2 countries who don't seem to understand the concept of solidarity.

A pro-brexit argument that is, as many others, patently false is the moaning about the 'huge EU bureaucracy'. In fact, this Brussels bureaucracy is more efficient and smaller, in terms over overhead, than any comparable (in scope) bureaucracy in Europe (including the UK).

Finally, I'd like to relate a conversation I overheard: an older person, UK expat in Spain, was boasting how he voted brexit and after a while the subject changed and he was boasting how efficient the Spanish health service was, compared to the NHS. Apparently the Spanish had given him a new hip for free and without a waiting list. Amazing. And he was sober.

auldaw said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 12:50 PM

A few points emerge re both referenda ( or ums).
The winning sides on both occasions told outrageous lies to the electorate, and have not been held to account, but instead claim the moral high ground stating that " the people have spoken ".
The Scottish people were told that only Better Together could guarantee continued EU membership and the immigrant population ( who were entitled to vote ) would only enjoy remaining in Scotland if they voted pro-union.
Similarly Brexit spokesmen led us to believe the NHS would immediately

benefit significantly after a Leave vote. They also indicated they had an ongoing plan.
The SNP have been consistent throughout, and the Westminster election in 2016 confirms their popularity with the Scottish vote.
I think there should be a further Independence Ref, but I think the impending vote should seek the opinions from the whole of the UK and not Scotland only as their appears to be an appetite for the notion that rUK would be better off without Scotland, and in all fairness, it's an opinion that has never been sought

roberto123 said:
Saturday, April 1, 2017 @ 10:59 PM

I am sick of hearing Nicola S going on about another referendum just because the SNP did not win it.
In fact I would vote for them to leave and do a D Trump and rebuild Hadrians Wall just to keep her quite.

auldaw said:
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 @ 11:58 PM

Glad Roberto123 and I are singing from the same hymn sheet, but be careful what you wish for, once all the talent has left for greener pastures you could be left only with pensioners , BNP skinheads and junkies.

Don R said:
Friday, April 21, 2017 @ 3:30 AM

The Scots were told that if they voted against independence they could stay in the EU, then they also voted to stay in the EU in the Brexit referendum but despite these two votes they now find themselves on their way out of the EU.
One thing about immigration and freedom of movement that has been ignored is that it works both ways. People voted to deny themselves and their children/grandchildren the oppotunities that this freedom brought to milions of British people for the last 50 years.

karisy said:
Friday, April 21, 2017 @ 10:48 AM

There is a difference between freedom of movement for those willing & able to financially support themselves & pay for services they may need in the host country (or work to do so) & granting totally unfettered access to the unemployed (in many cases unemployable), criminals & other low life, who in many cases, have absolutely no intention of integrating into the host society or making any financial contribution to it.

The UK has developed some of the best social & welfare systems in the world but we are a victim of this success. The Brussels version of freedom of movement insists we cannot discriminate between the entitlement of UK citizens, who have generally contributed to these services, & large numbers of new arrivals that haven’t. Giving a large chunk of the world free & unfettered access to these services is not financially sustainable, hence the cuts we are currently seeing across all our front line services! I don’t know of any other EU country where, as a non resident, I would not be expected to be able to feed & financially support myself & pay the going rate for any medical or welfare services I may need to use.

Killy said:
Saturday, December 1, 2018 @ 9:51 AM

Just put our Army on our Borders, keep our Country safe, GB♥️

Killy said:
Saturday, December 1, 2018 @ 9:56 AM

In reply or Auldaw.........our City has looked like that for years, only many more immigrants now too.