Euroscepticism remains at historically high levels in the UK according to a study that also suggests EU detractors are becoming more convinced that leaving the EU is the right choice for the country.

The proportion of people wanting to Leave the EU or reduce its powers has grown steadily and significantly over the past two and a half decades according to research conducted by John Curtice and Sarah Tipping at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen).

Analysis of the British Social Attitudes Survey shows that, in 2017, 36 per cent of Britons supported leaving the EU while another third supported staying but reducing the EU’s powers. Together these form the “Eurosceptic” proportion of the population.

This combined total of 69 per cent is lower than the level of Euroscepticism recorded in 2016, when it was at a record high, but is still the second highest level on record.

Euroscepticism has grown steadily since the British Social Attitudes Survey began asking this question 1992, the year of the Maastricht Treaty, when just 40 per cent of respondents identified as Eurosceptic. Since then there has been a steady upward trend.