A third of people living in Commonwealth countries think Brexit will be a positive thing for the UK

A THIRD of people living in Commonwealth countries think Britain's vote to leave the EU is a good thing.

The research from Ipsos MORI for the British Council showed that people in EU countries were far more gloomy about Brexit than those around the world.

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Of 40,000 young people polled in countries across the world, 33% of Commonwealth nations thought Brexit was going to have a positive impact.

That compared to 17% in EU countries.

A third of people in countries including Australia and Canada thought that Brexit had improved the UK's image too.

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This bumped up to 35% with other G20 states, including Japan, Mexico, the USA and Turkey.

The same pattern was seen when respondents were asked about their trust in people from the UK following the vote.

33% of people from EU nations said it had a negative impact, but in Commonwealth nations 31% said it had a positive impact on trust.

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British Council chief executive Ciaran Devane, said: "As the UK comes to reposition itself on the world stage, our reputation matters more than ever.

"We need to address the more negative opinions young people in Europe now have whilst making the most of the positive opinions elsewhere.

"Leaving the EU in a way that maintains relationships with the societies of Europe - and that strengthens these partnerships around the world - will be essential."