Brexit – a bad idea then, a bad idea now

Was the UK’s decision to leave the European Union a mistake?

Revisiting arguments he made during the referendum campaign in 2016, Professor Nicholas Barr, Professor of Public Economics at the European Institute, argues Brexit has had a profound negative impact on the country that was entirely foreseeable.

We also interviewed Nick Barr as part of our exclusive interview series, In the Brexit hot seat, which is featuring 10 voices from the LSE European Institute in the lead up to the anniversary of the 2016 referendum on 23 June 2026, to reflect on the impact and insights from Brexit, 10 years on.