Brexit divisions no longer divide dating decisions, shows new research

  • New research shows that Brexit voting decisions are no longer a deciding factor in most Brits’ dating lives.

  • Fresh figures released by Stack Data Strategy today has revealed that the biggest turn-offs in a potential partner for most British adults are smoking and being unvaccinated against Covid.

  • More than half of the population (56%) are turned-off at the prospect of dating someone who has not had their COVID-19 vaccine. Relationship prospects for smokers are also looking uncertain, with a huge 57% of Brits not wanting to date them.

Whilst health and lifestyle decisions are playing an increasingly important role in our love lives, the polling shows that the years of Brexit divisions are over. Nearly three quarters of Leave voters (72%) said they would be open to dating a Remain voter. For those on the Remain side of the debate, willingness to date your opposite number is slightly lower at 57%.

Although Brexit dividing lines don’t rule our dating lives, the data reveals that party political allegiances are still a deciding factor for Brits. Labour voters are cautious of crossing the political divide, with 46% saying they would not want to date a Tory. However, the data shows that Conservative voters take a more open approach to dating, with less than a quarter (24%) saying they would avoid dating someone of a different political persuasion.

As well as preferences when it comes to picking a partner, the research has also revealed that the public are split when it comes to the do’s and don’ts of dating. 66% of women think that the bill should be split equally between a man and woman going for dinner, compared to 53% of men. While men are more inclined to foot the bill, they are also prepared to spend more on dinner: 32% of men would expect to spend £50 – £100+ on dinner, versus 22% of women.

Nick Partington, Senior Analyst at Stack Data Strategy said: “Valentine’s Day often makes people reflect on what they look for in a romantic partner, as well as their relationship deal breakers.

“It’s clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our dating choices, with vaccination status being an important factor that the public consider when choosing a partner.

“While Brexit divisions appear to be a thing of the past when it comes to dating, a large proportion of people are still refusing to date someone with a different political allegiance to them. It’s clear that UK daters are keen to avoid the heated debates that we see in the House of Commons repeating in their romantic lives.”