Constituency

Suffolk Coastal

Party
Labour
Region
East of England
Official portrait of Jenny Riddell-Carpenter
MP

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter

MP's page on parliament.uk

Photo: © House of Commons/Laurie Noble (CC BY 3.0), cropped

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.

Source: Frontier Economics for Best for Britain

What rejoining could mean here

Estimated boost to the East of England's economy (GVA) each year from EU membership

+£712m

a year

Source: Frontier Economics

What voters think in Suffolk Coastal

Which EU relationship people in Suffolk Coastal most want the UK Government to propose

When they had to choose one

  1. EU membership31.5%, average across GB constituencies 34.3%
  2. Single market7.1%, average across GB constituencies 6.6%
  3. Customs union5.5%, average across GB constituencies 5.3%
  4. UK Government position19.4%, average across GB constituencies 17.4%
  5. Status quo9.0%, average across GB constituencies 8.2%
  6. Loosen ties11.0%, average across GB constituencies 9.7%
  7. Don't know16.5%, average across GB constituencies 18.4%
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 Suffolk Coastal

  • We have two choices as a nation. Either rejoin the EU and have the benefit of increased growth, better public services and standard of living. Or stay outside and continue to flounder as we are buffeted by the waves of increasing international instability, declining public services and declining living standards. Everyone needs to make this choice!

    N. H.

    9 November 2026

  • The UK is much stronger inside the EU than outside particularly in these uncertain times. The benefits of being in the EU must be made clear to the public, it is not just about bent bananas!

    Diane Scammell

    8 November 2026

  • We need to be part of a larger whole, not "little britain" (sic).

    Geof Butterwick

    8 November 2026

  • Joining the EU is essential for our economy, especially during a cost of living crisis. Also for defence. It's always better to work in collaboration with others rather than in isolation.

    J. B.

    8 November 2026

  • The current government are struggling, within their own self-imposed manifesto commitments, to raise the taxation revenue required to support creation of a national social care service and increased defence needs. Raising the UK GDP [aka growth] is the only way out of this mess and the uplift from regaining EU Member State status would easily raise GDP suficiently to cover these shortfalls. Not doing so is perpetuating an unnecessary penury.

    mark norris

    8 November 2026

Which sectors could benefit most from EU membership?

Suffolk Coastal has:

2,906

people employed in manufacturing, mining and utilities

GB average: 4,334 per constituency

5,764

people employed in retail and wholesale

GB average: 6,882 per constituency

2,316

people employed in accommodation and food services

GB average: 2,447 per constituency

Retail

as its biggest employing industry

These figures count people who live in the constituency and work in each industry (Census 2021; in Scotland, Scotland's Census 2022).

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

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.