With 65 days to go until the UK leaves the EU single market and customs union, the approval rating of the EU leadership has never been higher among Britons, according to a new poll.
The latest Gallup polling finds that 49% of Britons approve of the EU leadership, a 12 point rise from the 37% figure polled in March 2016, a few months before the EU referendum.
Approval of the EU is now at its highest level in more than a decade, and since the pollster has been asking the question, with support rising over the last four years since the referendum was held.
It puts the EU leadership at a higher level of support with those in the UK than support Boris Johnson’s premiership, which Is now close to matching Theresa May’s score in her final year as prime minister. despite their Brexit strategy diverging significantly.
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In 2019, Theresa May recorded the lowest approval rating, 36%, given to a UK leader since Gallup began polling on this question. In the current round of polling conducted in August and September, Boris Johnson scored 38%.
The past three Tory prime ministers — David Cameron, May and Johnson — have all seen their disapproval ratings in the region of 60%.
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By contrast, when asked to rate German chancellor Angela Merkel’s performance, 67% of the British public polled approved, up from 60% in 2019.
Gallup said that it showed that Germany’s leadership has resonated with Britons – showing more approval for Merkel than their own.
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