As the UK marks 10 years since the Brexit referendum, new polling from the European Movement Ireland shows that public opinion in Northern Ireland has shifted decisively towards Europe.
New polling published today by our colleagues at the European Movement Ireland (conducted by Amárach Research) reveals that 73% of people in Northern Ireland would vote to rejoin the European Union if the UK held a referendum tomorrow.
Northern Ireland voted 56% to Remain in the 2016 referendum. And ten years on, the polling makes clear that their view has not changed. If anything, it has strengthened.
This is cross-community support
It would be easy to dismiss a pro-EU figure from Northern Ireland as simply reflecting nationalist sentiment. But 73% cannot be explained by one community alone. That level of support has to come from all sides, Nationalist and Unionist, Catholic and Protestant.
This is genuinely cross-community, cross-party support for closer ties with Europe. That matters, and it should not be overlooked.
The cost of living is a driving force
This is not just about identity or history. The poll found that cost of living is now the top concern for people in Northern Ireland, cited by 45% of respondents. Brexit has made those pressures worse, through higher trade costs, disrupted supply chains, and the ongoing friction created by the Irish Sea border.
People in Northern Ireland have lived with the practical consequences of Brexit in a way that is immediate and visible. The polling reflects that lived experience.
There is also a striking finding on trust. Just 8% of respondents in Northern Ireland said they trust the UK Government, compared with 28% who said they trust the European Union. That gap is not a minor detail. It points to a deep and growing disconnect between the government that took the UK out of the EU and the people of Northern Ireland who never wanted to leave.
What the numbers tell us
For more on the economic impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland, you can read our recent news piece here.
The case for a closer relationship between the UK and the EU has never been stronger. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has already said he wants to go further in aligning with Europe. Public opinion across the UK is shifting. And now, from the part of the UK that has felt the impact of Brexit the most, comes the clearest possible signal that the direction of travel needs to change.
73% is not a fringe opinion. It is a majority, across a divided society, pointing in one direction.
You can read the full polling from our colleagues at the European Movement Ireland here.