Frome and East Somerset
- Party
- Liberal Democrat
- Region
- South West
The cost of Brexit · UK-wide
Brexit's estimated hit to UK economic output (GVA) in 2023
−£188.8bn
−7.7% of output
That's about £2,835 for every person in the UK, compared with an estimate of where the economy would have been without Brexit.
Source: Brexit Cost Project (Alabrese, Edenhofer, Fetzer and Wang, 2026), real terms at 2019 prices
What rejoining could mean · UK-wide
Long-term boost to the UK economy (GDP) from EU membership
+£92bn
at least
Plus at least £43bn a year more in UK exports.
What rejoining could mean here
Estimated boost to the South West's economy (GVA) each year from EU membership
+£639m
a year
Source: Frontier Economics
What voters think in Frome and East Somerset
Which EU relationship people in Frome and East Somerset most want the UK Government to propose
When they had to choose one
About this survey
YouGov surveyed 11,927 people. The survey was carried out between 27th May – 11th June 2026.
The survey was conducted using an online interview of members of the YouGov Plc GB panel of 400,000+ individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys.
Voices from Frome and East Somerset
Brexit ruined the UK as a base for European music touring including suppliers of sound, light, video, trucking, tour buses, staging, set fabrication, rehearsal spaces and tour catering. Many suppliers moved their offices, employment opportunities and tax payments to the EU. Britain has world beating road crews, technicians and drivers experienced in the specialised business of music and theatrical touring, now limited to 180 days working in the EU. The only sector that gained is the customs and visa administration specialists which added extra costs, red tape and uncertainly when crossing borders to a declining market sector, which contributed around £10 billion to the economy before Brexit. It also prevented smaller acts practising and perfecting their craft in the abundant clubs and festivals on the continent. It has wrought economic damage to many of our larger industries and increased immigration from other parts of the world. I miss the freedom of movement, for myself but most of all for the young people who are having to live with this self-inflicted act of vandalism. Personally, I feel a visceral sense of loss every time I have to use the 'Non-EU' queue at ports and airports. The sooner we rejoin the better.
Richard Paul-Jones
9 November 2026
The EU is our biggest and nearest trading partner. Trade deals with non-EU countries often involve lowering food/welfare standards. It's important that young people have the freedom to live, study and work where there are opportunities. Even though Trump may be on the way out, it's important that Europe unites in the face of Russian aggression and doesn't depend on the US to bail us out. It makes sense for British businesses to be able to export to the nearest market without a lot of red tape. This is especially true of the food industry. On an individual level, travel to Europe has been horrendous since Brexit and it's important to people of my generation to be able to spend as much of our retirement as we would like in Europe.
Geoff Lamb
9 November 2026
Which sectors could benefit most from EU membership?
Frome and East Somerset has:
people employed in manufacturing, mining and utilities
people employed in retail and wholesale
people employed in accommodation and food services
as its biggest employing industry
Why these jobs matter for our relationship with Europe
These three industries employ people in every constituency, and each depends on how easily goods, services and people move between the UK and Europe.
Manufacturing: Frontier Economics found that 81% of the £43 billion a year growth in exports from EU membership would come from manufacturing.
Retail: Rejoining the EU would remove the customs checks and paperwork that have added red tape and costs for shops and their suppliers since Brexit, making it cheaper and simpler to stock goods from Europe.
Food services: Pubs, restaurants and hotels have struggled to fill vacancies since free movement ended. EU membership would let them recruit seasonal workers from across Europe again and help bring down costs for hospitality businesses across the country.
Sources and methodology
- GVA gap caused by Brexit: Brexit Cost Project
- People employed by industry and biggest employing industry: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics
- People employed by industry in Scotland: Scotland's Census 2022, National Records of Scotland
- Support for full EU membership: YouGov for Best for Britain
- Regional GVA boost: Frontier Economics for Best for Britain
- Postcode lookup: postcodes.io, using ONS data
- MP details and photos: UK Parliament Members API
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Contains NRS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.