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Brexit was a cry of financial pain and not the influence of the old

Brexit was a cry of financial pain and not the influence of the old

Federica Liberini, Andrew Oswald, Eugenio Proto and Michela Redoano, The CAGE Background Briefing Series No. 85, October 2017
background briefing series,political economy,policy briefing

Federica Liberini, Andrew Oswald, Eugenio Proto and Michela Redoano, The CAGE Background Briefing Series No. 85, October 2017

There has been much debate on the determinants of the vote for Brexit. This column uses newly released data from the Understanding Society study to examine the characteristics of individuals who were for and against Brexit. Unhappiness contributed to the vote to leave the EU, but this was driven by feelings about individual financial situations rather than a general dissatisfaction with life. Brexit does not appear to have been caused by the old – only those under the age of 25 were substantially pro-Remain.

Political Economy