More than half of voters in Northern Ireland believe the United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union, a new opinion poll indicates.
The survey from Queen’s University Belfast, conducted by LucidTalk between October 23 and 26 with 1,050 respondents, marks a decade since the initial Brexit referendum. It shows that 52% of voters agree the UK should rejoin the EU and assume the same obligations as other member states, while 38% oppose the move.
Support for rejoining the bloc divides sharply along political lines. Backing is highest among SDLP voters at 88%, Sinn Féin supporters at 86%, and Alliance voters at 83%. Conversely, TUV voters show the strongest opposition at 92%, followed by DUP supporters at 84% and UUP voters at 63%.
Public backing for the post-Brexit Windsor Framework has dropped to its lowest level since June 2021. Only 45% of respondents now view the arrangement as on balance a good thing for Northern Ireland, the lowest level since June 2021.
Just 44% of respondents consider the Windsor Framework an appropriate mechanism for managing Brexit’s effects on the region. That figure represents a steep decline from 60% recorded in February 2024, reflecting growing concern over economic, constitutional and political consequences.
Political stability and trade integrity also face negative public assessments in the region. The survey shows 49% of respondents view the framework’s impact on political stability as negative, compared with 28% who see a positive effect, while 44% view its impact on Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market negatively.
Despite declining satisfaction with post-Brexit governance structures, more than three-quarters of respondents welcome an upcoming EU-UK summit. Participants look favorably on prospects for the meeting to reduce checks and controls on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.
Professor Katy Hayward said that opposition to the Windsor Framework stems primarily from constitutional anxieties rather than daily cooperation. “Our findings suggest that opposition to the Windsor Framework is driven less by resistance to practical cooperation with the EU than by concerns about Northern Ireland’s place in the UK,” Hayward said.
The survey highlights a widespread desire for further diplomatic engagement alongside a distinct lack of confidence in political debate. 77% of respondents say the UK and EU need serious dialogue concerning their long-term relationship.
At the same time, 69% of respondents believe insufficient information is available to facilitate an informed public debate on future relationship options. Nearly two-thirds, or 63%, feel that Brexit has proven more disruptive than they initially anticipated in 2016.
Professor David Phinnemore pointed to the disconnect between public appetite for discussion and faith in political leadership. “Voters in Northern Ireland generally welcome the prospect of the UK having a closer relationship with the EU,” Phinnemore said. “But with the UK Prime Minister keen to have a ‘serious dialogue’ on where next, it is striking how few, 16%, believe that politicians will be able to debate options in an informed manner.”
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