Leave voters significantly more optimistic about economic prospects

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Any figure over 100 denotes that consumers are more confident than unconfident but the number is lower than that seen prior to the 2016 referendum.

During this period Boris Johnson succeeded Theresa May as Prime Minister and has adopted a significantly more aggressive approach on Brexit, something which does not appear to have materially altered the optimism of the population as a whole.

Boris Johnson has pledged to deliver Brexit by October 31.

Sentiment on business activity over the last month dropped slightly from 107.7 in June to 106.5, but the outlook for the coming year rose 2.1 points to 114.0. The score for the next 12 months among Remain voters was 110.9 while Leavers are far more optimistic, with a score 10 full points higher at 119.9.

There are other notable differences between the Leave and Remain camps. For example, Remain voters expect general goods and services prices to rise by 5 per cent in the coming year, while Leavers expects to see just a 3.3 per cent rise.

Perhaps the starkest difference appears when we ask about confidence in the Government’s handling of the economy. Only 42% of Remainers are confident in their strategy and actions, while this rises to 75.2 per cent of Leavers.

Oliver Rowe, Director of Reputation Research at YouGov, said: “Although we have seen some improvements, we are still some way off the levels of confidence seen before the EU referendum and the general public is waiting for some stability and predictability to return. Despite this, there are signs of optimism, particularly among those who voted Leave in 2016.”

Nina Skero, Director at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said: “With consumer confidence holding steady in July, by far the most interesting insight from this month’s YouGov/Cebr Consumer Confidence Index is the difference in sentiment between those who voted to leave the EU and those who voted to remain.

"Leavers are more enthusiastic about business activity and house price prospects, while also voicing a greater degree of confidence in the Government’s handling of the economy.

"As the Brexit process enters a crucial phase in the coming months, maintaining consumer confidence will be vital as optimistic consumers can go a long way in boosting economic growth.”