Why the wealthy were happy to back a Leave vote gamble | Torsten Bell

An important Brexit study reveals that financial security makes voters more likely to take risks

Elections often come down to whether the public wants to stick or twist. But how does voters' wealth affect their appetite for a ballot-box gamble? It increases people's willingness to risk a big change is the answer from an important new Brexit study. Challenging simplistic claims that Brexit was driven entirely by the economically left-behind, it shows that having wealth (especially housing) made people more likely to vote for Brexit.

Previous research has shown people in high house-price areas tended to vote Remain, but this study digs deeper, focusing on voters' own wealth. Having lots of it makes you particularly likely to have voted Leave if you live in an area such as the home counties. Why?

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