BREXIT has become such a dominant and polarising issue, and has remained unsolved for so long, that the public have begun to lose hope in politics and their MPs – according to research.

The UK voted on its EU status on June 23, 2016, with 51.89 per cent voting to leave, but fast forward almost three years later and the Government is yet to strike a successful withdrawal deal.

Aside from radio phone-ins and irate Question Time audiences, the clearest indication of Brexit fatigue, and more broadly political fatigue, can be seen through voter turnout to the UK’s local elections.

The recent North of Tyne Mayoral election earlier this month attracted a voter turnout of 48,031 in Northumberland.

If you compare this to the voter turnout of 46,224 in the Hexham constituency, not the whole of Northumberland, for the 2017 General Election, the difference is stark. And although the county wasn’t involved in local elections, the number of Conservative councillors nationwide fell by 1,330 with 606 independent or minor parties making gains.

While the Conservatives and Labour want to honour the results of the referendum, question marks remain around what either party specifically wants out of a deal.

As a result, the evolution of new parties Change UK, (pro-remain) and Brexit Party, (pro-Brexit) provide voters with a clear cut understanding of what they stand for.

Brexit negotiations throughout Parliament, and the furore that ensued, reached breakneck speed throughout the winter.

For everyday and every hour it was at the forefront of the news agenda, and the public followed Theresa May on her quest to agree a deal that parliament agreed on.

Her Brexit deal has been rejected three times by MPs and ministers have admitted her deal will be “dead” if it’s rejected a fourth time.

That would leave just two options when the October 31 deadline looms, a no-deal Brexit, which has previously been rejected by MPs, or the revocation of Article 50, cancelling the entire process.

Deal or no deal, the general public shouldn’t feel guilty for feeling apathetic.

An audit report of political engagement in 2019 from the Hansard Society noted that opinions of the current governing system are at their lowest point in the 15-year audit series – lower than in the aftermath of the MPs’ expenses scandal.

People are also pessimistic about the country’s problems, and feelings of powerlessness and disengagement are intensifying. Of course there’s a wider issue here, but it’s clear to see that Brexit has exacerbated the impact.

The report stated that 72 per cent of people questioned said the governing system needed ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a great deal’ of improvement. Additionally, 75 per cent said the main political parties were so divided within themselves that they could not serve the best interests of the country.

However in a push for a resolution, the Prime Minister recently announced in the House of Commons that she was prepared to stage a Champions League-style comeback to deliver Brexit.

She said: “What it shows is that when everyone says it’s all over, that your European opposition have got you beat, the clock is ticking down, it’s time to concede defeat, actually we can still secure success if everyone comes together.”

But there’s no signs of Brexit any time soon.

And with uncertainty surrounding the European elections outcome this Thursday, the Government faces an uphill task of regaining the public’s trust.