Concern about Brexit rises among consumers over 65

Concern about Brexit has risen sharply among over-65s to a level almost matching the youngest voting age group, a survey suggests.

Some 61% of those aged over 65 say they are worried about the impact of Brexit, a 34 percentage point increase since September 2016, when Which? began recording the data.

Among those aged 18 to 34, 64% say they are concerned about the consequences of Brexit, the consumer group said.

But Which? also found a rise among the 34 to 64 age group who say they are concerned since September 2016, an increase of 24 percentage points to the current 60%.

Meanwhile, 68% of people in Wales now say they are worried about Brexit, up 38 percentage points since September 2016 and higher than the 62% currently recorded for London.

Levels of worry in both the West Midlands and the East of England now stand at 63%, Which? said, up from 32% in each area in September 2016.

The south-east has also seen its figure almost double from 35% to 67%, the polling indicates.

Overall, 62% of people in the UK say they are worried about the impact of Brexit, up from 39% in 2016.

Concern is currently at 65% in Scotland, 63% in Northern Ireland and 61% in England, the watchdog found.

Which? director of policy Caroline Normand said: “The continuing lack of certainty about how the UK will leave the EU is clearly concerning people as they consider what it could mean for families and businesses across Britain.

“Consumers want a Brexit that protects and enhances their rights and gives them access to a wider range of high-quality, affordable goods and services.

“We believe that the best way to ease people’s worries is for the Government to agree a deal with the European Union that will meet these expectations and avoid the potential disaster scenario of a no-deal.”

The Which? Consumer Insight Tracker is a nationally representative online survey of around 2,000 people which reports every two months