Results of research suggest that leavers tended to be less numerate

It is a belief that some pro-Europeans already hold dear, but a group of scientists now claim to have confirmed it: Brexit voters are less bright than remainers.

Researchers gave 11,225 volunteers psychological tests before the referendum and asked how they intended to vote. Results suggest that leavers tended to be less numerate, more impulsive and more prone to accept the unsupported claims of authoritarian figures.

“Compared with remain voters, leave voters displayed significantly lower levels of numeracy and appeared more reliant on impulsive thinking,” said the researchers. The study was commissioned by Britain’s Online Privacy Foundation and analysed by scientists at Missouri University.

Social scientists are increasingly interested in how personality affects voting. Authoritarian people, who favour conformity and obedience, make up about a