Half of older Leave voters would accept job loss for Brexit

Half of Leave voters aged 65 or over would accept losing their job, or seeing a relative lose their job, if it meant Brexit going through, according to a new poll from YouGov.

Olders voters willing to lose job for Brexit to succeed. Picture: AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert

The older leave voters see such a consequence as a price worth paying to leave the European Union.

In Scotland 42 per cent of Remain voters said economic damage would be acceptable if it meant the UK staying in the EU.

As concern grows over the economic ramifications of leaving the EU, YouGov found that 61 per cent of Leave voters believe that “significant damage to the British economy to be a price worth paying” for Brexit, while just 20 per cent of Leave voters said it would not be, and 19 per cent do not know.

Overall 39 per cent of Leave voters said they would still back Brexit even if it meant losing their job, or seeing a member of their family lose their job, with 38 per cent saying they would not and 23 per cent unsure.

The figure was highest among Conservative voters, with 47 per cent saying a family member losing their job would be a price worth paying, 31 per cent saying it would not be, and 22 per cent saying ‘don’t know’.

YouGov found that 34 per cent of Remain voters agreed that “significant damage to the UK economy would be a price worth paying if it meant that Britain stayed in the European Union”, with 38 per cent opposed and 27 per cent saying they did not know.

It found that 19 per cent of UK Remain voters agreed that “significant damage to the British economy after leaving the European Union” would be worthwhile, to “teach Leave politicians and Leave voters a lesson”, with 69 per cent saying it would not be a price worth paying and 18 per cent saying “don’t know”.

The poll was based in a sample of 4,918 voters, with 551 aged 18-24, 1,961 aged 25-49, 1,302 aged 50-64 and 1,104 aged 65 or over.