Showing posts with label Brexit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brexit. Show all posts
July 27, 2026
Nick Clegg: No Other Country Has Punched Itself in the Face Like Britain
Alastair Campbell on Why Andy Burnham Could Succeed Where Others Failed | Talk to Al Jazeera
July 26, 2026 | Alastair Campbell, former spokesman to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, says Brexit left Britain weaker and less confident, triggering years of political instability and seven prime ministers in a decade.
He believes Andy Burnham has the empathy and leadership to turn the country around, but only if he can rebuild the economy, restore trust and lead the UK beyond the Brexit era. He warns that the Labour Party must win on its own agenda; not by trying to out-Reform Reform or out-Green the Greens.
He believes Andy Burnham has the empathy and leadership to turn the country around, but only if he can rebuild the economy, restore trust and lead the UK beyond the Brexit era. He warns that the Labour Party must win on its own agenda; not by trying to out-Reform Reform or out-Green the Greens.
July 16, 2026
Gibraltar Scraps Border Checks with Spain | DW News
June 26, 2026
Sir John Major in Conversation with The Independent on the 10th Anniversary of Brexit
Jun 26, 2026 | Sir John Major has given an exclusive interview to The Independent editor-in-chief Geordie Greig, speaking about the impact of Brexit, Nigel Farage’s impact on Britain leaving the European Union, and posing a challenge to Andy Burnham if he were to become Labour leader.
The former prime minister was speaking to The Independent as part of its Europe: The Way Back campaign - launched to explore ways to rebuild Britain's future relationship with Europe.
On the question of Brexit, I agree with Sir John Major. On Kemi Badenoch, on the other hand, I most certainly do not. I am shocked by Sir John Major’s take on her. Kemi Badenoch is four-square against this country’s return to Europe. She also has a number of other whacko ideas. I would wager that the Conservative Party will never be a party that appeals to the British electorate under her leadership. Badenoch is no Margaret Thatcher! She has no mass appeal.
Moreover, how can John Major rue our leaving the European Union AND be for a leader of the Conservative Party who is such a strong Brexiteer? — © Mark Alexander
The former prime minister was speaking to The Independent as part of its Europe: The Way Back campaign - launched to explore ways to rebuild Britain's future relationship with Europe.
On the question of Brexit, I agree with Sir John Major. On Kemi Badenoch, on the other hand, I most certainly do not. I am shocked by Sir John Major’s take on her. Kemi Badenoch is four-square against this country’s return to Europe. She also has a number of other whacko ideas. I would wager that the Conservative Party will never be a party that appeals to the British electorate under her leadership. Badenoch is no Margaret Thatcher! She has no mass appeal.
Moreover, how can John Major rue our leaving the European Union AND be for a leader of the Conservative Party who is such a strong Brexiteer? — © Mark Alexander
June 24, 2026
‘A Total, Utter Nightmare’: Small Businesses on Brexit, 10 Years On
THE GUARDIAN: Cheesemakers, farmers, exporters and wine merchants say red tape, lack of vision and rising costs mean they have stopped trading, sold up or retired early
Out of pocket, out of business, retired early. These are the tales of the “sunlit uplands” experienced by small-to-medium-sized businesses across Britain after Brexit.
Between 16,000 to 20,000 businesses stopped exporting to the EU altogether, but others who soldiered on complain Boris Johnson’s government catered for the “blue chips”, not the small, everyday companies when they designed the hard Brexit for Britain.
Cheshire cheesemaker Simon Spurrell says Brexit didn’t just leave him with a £250,000 hole in his small but fast-growing firm, but ultimately lost him his business.
Back in 2021, he described Brexit as the “biggest disaster” any government has negotiated. Looking back, nothing has changed his view.
“Brexit is the biggest self-harm that any government has inflicted on itself in recent history,” he says.
n the first few weeks of 2021, Ben Fletcher, the head of Logistics UK and then at Make UK, described Brexit as “Dante’s fifth circle of hell”.
Five years later? “We got even further down, to Dante’s seventh or eighth circle of hell, at its worst,” he says.
Spurrell was a case in point. He discovered he could no longer export his award-winning cheese to the EU because every sale, even those only worth £30, would need to be accompanied by a £180 health certificate confirming they conformed with EU standards. He sold out to a bigger company that could cope with the paperwork.
“Every small business that issues animal foodstuff – meat, cheese, dairy, eggs, even pet food – suffered massively because they didn’t have the luxury of a large organisation that could blend in the paperwork and have someone dedicated to doing that,” says Spurrell. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Senior correspondent | Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Nobody with even a basic understanding of economics would ever have voted for Brexit. Brexit is, was, and will forever be the wet dream of losers, backward-thinking people, fossils, and the mentally-challenged!
We, the people, and small and medium-sized businesses have suffered greatly as a result Brexit. People like that mouthy, self-enriching, money-grubber and charlatan, Nigel Farage, hexed this country’s economy with that ridiculous notion of regaining our sovereignty. First of all, we never lost our sovereignty in the first place; rather, we pooled it with our brethren in Europe. Second, before the talk of Brexit, I very much doubt whether the average person in the street would have been able to define sovereignty anyway! Most normal people worry about having money in their pockets to be able to enjoy life, put food on the table, and keep themselves afloat. They care little about such abstract notions as sovereignty.
For me personally, Brexit added greatly to my grief. On May 1st that year, my life’s partner had died before my very eyes; so I was already grief-stricken as it was. On the 23rd of June, that year—2016—along came the shattering result of Brexit. I burst into tears; Brexit intensified my already extremely painful heartache and grief. With the death of my American partner, I had lost my window to the West; now, because of Brexit, I had lost my window to the East as well!
I know that I am probably not in any way typical of the average Briton, but I can honestly say, hand on heart, thaI I feel European with every fibre of my being. And with Brexit, that clown and jester had stripped me and millions of other Britons of a possible future in Europe. My window of possibilities was shattered into smithereens.
I shall never forgive Farage for the fiasco of Brexit, because he caused me far too much grief, pain, and sorrow. And it was all for mothing anyway. We the people gained no advantage from Brexit, and our economy has flatlined ever since. The only thing I can think of that certainly hasn’t flatlined is Farage’s bank balance! — © Mark Alexander
Out of pocket, out of business, retired early. These are the tales of the “sunlit uplands” experienced by small-to-medium-sized businesses across Britain after Brexit.
Between 16,000 to 20,000 businesses stopped exporting to the EU altogether, but others who soldiered on complain Boris Johnson’s government catered for the “blue chips”, not the small, everyday companies when they designed the hard Brexit for Britain.
Cheshire cheesemaker Simon Spurrell says Brexit didn’t just leave him with a £250,000 hole in his small but fast-growing firm, but ultimately lost him his business.
Back in 2021, he described Brexit as the “biggest disaster” any government has negotiated. Looking back, nothing has changed his view.
“Brexit is the biggest self-harm that any government has inflicted on itself in recent history,” he says.
n the first few weeks of 2021, Ben Fletcher, the head of Logistics UK and then at Make UK, described Brexit as “Dante’s fifth circle of hell”.
Five years later? “We got even further down, to Dante’s seventh or eighth circle of hell, at its worst,” he says.
Spurrell was a case in point. He discovered he could no longer export his award-winning cheese to the EU because every sale, even those only worth £30, would need to be accompanied by a £180 health certificate confirming they conformed with EU standards. He sold out to a bigger company that could cope with the paperwork.
“Every small business that issues animal foodstuff – meat, cheese, dairy, eggs, even pet food – suffered massively because they didn’t have the luxury of a large organisation that could blend in the paperwork and have someone dedicated to doing that,” says Spurrell. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Senior correspondent | Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Nobody with even a basic understanding of economics would ever have voted for Brexit. Brexit is, was, and will forever be the wet dream of losers, backward-thinking people, fossils, and the mentally-challenged!
We, the people, and small and medium-sized businesses have suffered greatly as a result Brexit. People like that mouthy, self-enriching, money-grubber and charlatan, Nigel Farage, hexed this country’s economy with that ridiculous notion of regaining our sovereignty. First of all, we never lost our sovereignty in the first place; rather, we pooled it with our brethren in Europe. Second, before the talk of Brexit, I very much doubt whether the average person in the street would have been able to define sovereignty anyway! Most normal people worry about having money in their pockets to be able to enjoy life, put food on the table, and keep themselves afloat. They care little about such abstract notions as sovereignty.
For me personally, Brexit added greatly to my grief. On May 1st that year, my life’s partner had died before my very eyes; so I was already grief-stricken as it was. On the 23rd of June, that year—2016—along came the shattering result of Brexit. I burst into tears; Brexit intensified my already extremely painful heartache and grief. With the death of my American partner, I had lost my window to the West; now, because of Brexit, I had lost my window to the East as well!
I know that I am probably not in any way typical of the average Briton, but I can honestly say, hand on heart, thaI I feel European with every fibre of my being. And with Brexit, that clown and jester had stripped me and millions of other Britons of a possible future in Europe. My window of possibilities was shattered into smithereens.
I shall never forgive Farage for the fiasco of Brexit, because he caused me far too much grief, pain, and sorrow. And it was all for mothing anyway. We the people gained no advantage from Brexit, and our economy has flatlined ever since. The only thing I can think of that certainly hasn’t flatlined is Farage’s bank balance! — © Mark Alexander
June 23, 2026
The U.K. Is Still Counting the Cost of Brexit, 10 Years After the Vote
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Citing lower trade and investment, analysts broadly agree that Britain’s economy is smaller than it would have been if the country had stayed in the E.U.
This photo is from this NYT article. | Ten years ago, British voters approved by a slim margin a proposal for the country to leave the European Union. The economic results, economists say, have not been glowing. | Andrew Testa for The New York Times
Just before Britain’s fateful referendum on its membership to the European Union 10 years ago, the government of the day gave a stark warning. A vote to leave the bloc would lead to “an immediate and profound shock” to the economy. By a slim margin, the public voted to leave anyway.
The economic warnings were wrong, but only in their timing.
Brexit has damaged the British economy and the costs have steadily accumulated over the past decade, greatly outweighing any benefits, economists say. More visibly, Brexit has unleashed a torrent of political instability: The country will soon get its seventh prime minister since the June 23, 2016 vote, after Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday.
The turmoil has led to a sense of regret: In a recent poll, nearly half of Britons said that Brexit was going worse than expected, up sharply from five years ago. Another survey found that just over half would support rejoining the European Union.
It is hard to be precise about the cost of Brexit, given the other hits to the British economy since the referendum, including the Covid-19 pandemic, President Trump’s tariffs and the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Here’s what to know about the economic impact so far, according to several recent reports. » | Eshe Nelson | Reporting from London | Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Ten WASTED years! Ten years of BELLYACHING! Ten years of FALSE HOPES! For that CAULDRON of HOPELESSNESS, we can thank David Cameron's extremely poor political judgment, BoJo's desire for the keys to Number 10, come what may and regardless of the cost either to Britons or Europeans, and last but certainly not least, the SNAKEOIL SALESMAN par excellence — Nigel Farage.
There are many other blackguards on the Brexit horizon as well, but those are the three MAIN characters. There were several others who caused untold damage to the UK economy, and yet others who couldn't stop salivating because of the money they made from Brexit and other people's misery. People such as Jacob Rees-Mogg who spent his time selling suckers fairy stories about how well off they would be if we left the European Union! That didn't work out too well, did it?
So now, we have a mountain to climb to get back into the European Union AS FULL MEMBERS, minus the so-called opt-outs and the usual British moaning and groaning, and hopefully embracing the euro.
Outside of the EU, I feel like a fish out of water. I am sure I am not alone.
So, let us commence our arduous but exciting journey back to the heart of Europe, where we belong! — © Mark Alexander
Anthem of Europe: Ode to Joy »
Just before Britain’s fateful referendum on its membership to the European Union 10 years ago, the government of the day gave a stark warning. A vote to leave the bloc would lead to “an immediate and profound shock” to the economy. By a slim margin, the public voted to leave anyway.
The economic warnings were wrong, but only in their timing.
Brexit has damaged the British economy and the costs have steadily accumulated over the past decade, greatly outweighing any benefits, economists say. More visibly, Brexit has unleashed a torrent of political instability: The country will soon get its seventh prime minister since the June 23, 2016 vote, after Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday.
The turmoil has led to a sense of regret: In a recent poll, nearly half of Britons said that Brexit was going worse than expected, up sharply from five years ago. Another survey found that just over half would support rejoining the European Union.
It is hard to be precise about the cost of Brexit, given the other hits to the British economy since the referendum, including the Covid-19 pandemic, President Trump’s tariffs and the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Here’s what to know about the economic impact so far, according to several recent reports. » | Eshe Nelson | Reporting from London | Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Ten WASTED years! Ten years of BELLYACHING! Ten years of FALSE HOPES! For that CAULDRON of HOPELESSNESS, we can thank David Cameron's extremely poor political judgment, BoJo's desire for the keys to Number 10, come what may and regardless of the cost either to Britons or Europeans, and last but certainly not least, the SNAKEOIL SALESMAN par excellence — Nigel Farage.
There are many other blackguards on the Brexit horizon as well, but those are the three MAIN characters. There were several others who caused untold damage to the UK economy, and yet others who couldn't stop salivating because of the money they made from Brexit and other people's misery. People such as Jacob Rees-Mogg who spent his time selling suckers fairy stories about how well off they would be if we left the European Union! That didn't work out too well, did it?
So now, we have a mountain to climb to get back into the European Union AS FULL MEMBERS, minus the so-called opt-outs and the usual British moaning and groaning, and hopefully embracing the euro.
Outside of the EU, I feel like a fish out of water. I am sure I am not alone.
So, let us commence our arduous but exciting journey back to the heart of Europe, where we belong! — © Mark Alexander
Anthem of Europe: Ode to Joy »
Three in Five Gen Z Britons Would Like New Vote to Rejoin EU, Poll Finds
THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Data reveals 60% of 18 to 28-year-olds would vote to rejoin bloc if given the opportunity
Screenshot taken from this Mi>Guardian article. | Demonstrators in favour of rejoining the EU in London this month. Hostility toward the UK’s exit from the EU is strongest among the youngest adults. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images
A generation of young Britons who were locked out of the 2016 EU referendum because of their age now believe that Brexit has failed, with a majority demanding a fresh vote to rejoin the EU, exclusive polling shows.
Gen Z Britons show deep dissatisfaction with the UK’s departure from the EU, according to new polling of 18- to 28-year-olds conducted by the thinktank More in Common and shared with the Guardian.
The data reveals that 60% of this cohort would vote to rejoin the bloc if given the opportunity, compared with 9% who would vote to stay out.
When filtering the results to focus solely on those likely to cast a ballot in a hypothetical second referendum, the margin becomes a landslide, with the pro-EU Remain/Rejoin camp capturing 81% of the vote against just 19% for remaining outside.
The More in Common study, which surveyed 440 young people across Britain, shows that 50% of gen Z Britons categorise Brexit as a failure. In contrast, only 16% view the project as a success, while 34% remain undecided. » | Jamie Grierson | Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Three in five Gen Z Britons PLUS this forward-thinking baby boomer! 😊
What Britain needs right now to bring about our return to the European Union is a REAL LEADER with BALLS! A leader with SPUNK. — © Mark Alexander
A generation of young Britons who were locked out of the 2016 EU referendum because of their age now believe that Brexit has failed, with a majority demanding a fresh vote to rejoin the EU, exclusive polling shows.
Gen Z Britons show deep dissatisfaction with the UK’s departure from the EU, according to new polling of 18- to 28-year-olds conducted by the thinktank More in Common and shared with the Guardian.
The data reveals that 60% of this cohort would vote to rejoin the bloc if given the opportunity, compared with 9% who would vote to stay out.
When filtering the results to focus solely on those likely to cast a ballot in a hypothetical second referendum, the margin becomes a landslide, with the pro-EU Remain/Rejoin camp capturing 81% of the vote against just 19% for remaining outside.
The More in Common study, which surveyed 440 young people across Britain, shows that 50% of gen Z Britons categorise Brexit as a failure. In contrast, only 16% view the project as a success, while 34% remain undecided. » | Jamie Grierson | Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Three in five Gen Z Britons PLUS this forward-thinking baby boomer! 😊
What Britain needs right now to bring about our return to the European Union is a REAL LEADER with BALLS! A leader with SPUNK. — © Mark Alexander
June 19, 2026
What Brexit Really Cost
People who voted for Brexit were of an ilk. ‘Nuff said! — © Mark Alexander
June 16, 2026
EU and UK Announce Summit to Discuss ‘Reset’ in Post-Brexit Relations
THE GUARDIAN: Meeting was delayed over details of youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s freedom to work and study in each other’s territory
The EU and the UK have announced they will hold their next summit to discuss the “reset” in relations between London and Brussels on 22 July.
The summit, which will be held in Brussels, has been delayed several times, with talks over a youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s to work, travel or study in each other’s territory deadlocked in recent weeks, fuelling speculation the summit would be postponed until the autumn.
António Costa, the president of the European Council, confirmed the date at the G7 meeting in Evian on Tuesday.
“Close EU-UK cooperation is essential for our shared European security, resilience and prosperity,” he said. “We are working closely together to make our upcoming second summit on 22 July a success.”
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, who could be facing a leadership challenge after this Thursday’s Makerfield byelection, said: “My Labour government is delivering on our promise to reset our relationship and put Britain at the heart of Europe.
“Together we will tackle the cost of living, boost jobs and create opportunities for young people.” » | Lisa O’Carroll, Senior correspondent | Tuesday, June 16, 2026
The EU and the UK have announced they will hold their next summit to discuss the “reset” in relations between London and Brussels on 22 July.
The summit, which will be held in Brussels, has been delayed several times, with talks over a youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s to work, travel or study in each other’s territory deadlocked in recent weeks, fuelling speculation the summit would be postponed until the autumn.
António Costa, the president of the European Council, confirmed the date at the G7 meeting in Evian on Tuesday.
“Close EU-UK cooperation is essential for our shared European security, resilience and prosperity,” he said. “We are working closely together to make our upcoming second summit on 22 July a success.”
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, who could be facing a leadership challenge after this Thursday’s Makerfield byelection, said: “My Labour government is delivering on our promise to reset our relationship and put Britain at the heart of Europe.
“Together we will tackle the cost of living, boost jobs and create opportunities for young people.” » | Lisa O’Carroll, Senior correspondent | Tuesday, June 16, 2026
June 12, 2026
Brexit: 10 Years of Regret? • FRANCE 24 English
June 02, 2026
How Britain, Europe and the West Were Changed by Brexit
Brexit was a STUPID act of SELF-HARM. By choosing Brexit, the nation decided to commit suicide in slow motion! This nation is living through that slow death right now! Moreover, it should be added that Cameron showed his naïveté as a politician by giving the nation a referendum in the first place. And for several reasons. These are just a few of them…
Politically, it is very unwise to ask the people to decide on, and vote on, an issue of such humungous importance when even many politicians struggle to understand the intricacies and all-encompassing nature of the institution they were asked to vote on. The Europe question was also an issue of huge constitutional importance. So, to ask one’s granny living up the road, who probably knows little about geopolitics, and understands even less of it, to vote on such an issue which would PERMANENTLY change the future trajectory of the nation was nothing short of STUPID and RECKLESS!
Further, the WEAKENING of the EUROPEAN UNION was Putin’s greatest DREAM. It was speculated that he pumped millions into trying to bring Brexit about. He was certainly pleased to learn the news that the European Union had been weakened significantly by Britain’s exit from the Union.
Many British voters voted in favour of Brexit not for sound economic reasons, but for irrational reasons of emotion. “We don’t want “them forinners” in Brussels telling us what to do!” 😊
The whole caboodle needs to be reversed in whole at the very earliest possible convenience. No ifs and no buts! This nation needs to get back on track. — © Mark Alexander
May 23, 2026
Rob Groves: Would Burnham’s Labour Finally Kill Off Brexit?
Brexit could only have appealed to Brexiteers on an emotional level. It couldn’t possibly have appealed to them on an intellectual level. How can I say this? Because Brexit defied common sense and because it defied all sensible laws of economics.
Voters were manipulated and hoodwinked into voting for Brexit by the few that were going to make a killing from it. Those arch-Brexiteers who led the people to drink from the poisoned chalice couldn’t have cared a damn for the well-being of the electorate because there were simply no real, concrete benefits attached to exiting the European Union.
As a result of Brexit, the British economy has suffered greatly: it has suffered a serious contraction. And people have suffered, too: they are much, much poorer than they ever needed to be. They have also lost all their rights as European citizens. That means FA to the superrich, of course, because they can afford to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy back those lost privileges. But that is a luxury the average voter cannot afford.
Actually, Brexit brought with it a serious loss of rights and privileges. Here are just a few of them: Brits have lost the right to move to any EU nation to work, live, and retire; they have lost the right to move around Europe freely, and to stay for as long as they wanted; they have lost their right to free healthcare, even when on holiday, and in any EU nation; they have lost their right to vote in any EU election when living in an EU nation; and they have lost robust consumer protections as well. And all this just to fulfil and cater to the wet dreams of benighted europhobes and xenophobes! — © Mark Alexander
May 17, 2026
You Can't 'Put Britain at the Heart of Europe' After Brexit
Our politicians are clueless. Hardline Brexiteers are too. — © Mark Alexander
May 16, 2026
Michael Lambert: Starmer Going? - Will Andy Burnham Start to Reverse Brexit
May 16, 2026 | Since Brexit, Britain has had six prime ministers and is about to have a seventh — and not one of them has fixed the economy. Not one.
The ‘SS British Economy’ continues to sink, and changing the captain won't save the ship.
In this video I explain why: The UK economy is falling behind the economy of every major European nation.
The ‘SS British Economy’ continues to sink, and changing the captain won't save the ship.
In this video I explain why: The UK economy is falling behind the economy of every major European nation.
May 14, 2026
Back to the Future of Brexit
One can but weep for this country! Brexit has put us into a fine old mess! Brexit has brought us impoverishment, no opportunities for economic growth, and nothing to look forward to. Britons’ rights as citizens have been stripped away, replacing them with a few feudal ‘rights’ as subjects of the King, and little else. Prior to that ridiculous, ill-thought-out Brexit, Britons had a decent future. They could move to any EU country and work there, start a business there, set up home there, avail themselves of free healthcare there, travel visa-free there, and for those who love their pets, because of the ‘EU Pet Travel Scheme’, they could even move there with their beloved dogs, cats, or ferrets! Now, just to travel there involves all manner of hurdles to jump. One could call it the steeplechase of the century!
One of the main architects of Brexit and all the troubles and travails that Brexit brought with it is, of course, that infamous, self-serving, self-enriching snake oil salesman, Nigel Farage. And how the naïve and ill-informed have been taken in by him! They have even gone and cast their vote for him in recent local elections, voting for the very man who has made them poorer! Talk about turkeys voting for Christmas, this was it! — © Mark Alexander
May 03, 2026
Brexit Failed. Farage Did It. Now You're Voting FOR Him?
April 24, 2026
Britain Should Seek to Rejoin EU, Says Civil Servant Who Led Brexit Department
THE GUARDIAN: Philip Rycroft says promises on issues from economics to immigration have not lived up to expectations
Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | Anti-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in April. Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock
Britain should start talking about rejoining the EU, according to a former senior civil servant who ran the Brexit department.
Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, said the “argument was there to be won” about going back into Europe, adding that a “clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests” was needed. However, he said rejoining the bloc could be a “long and windy” road.
“Most economic analysis suggests that we have taken a significant hit to GDP as a result of leaving the single market,” he wrote in the Times. “The precise number, and the impact on our export performance to the EU and beyond, might be subject to debate, but no one can credibly claim that we have marched to the sunny uplands of sustained economic growth as a consequence of Brexit.”
Rycroft said the promises of the Brexit campaign on issues from economics to immigration had not lived up to expectations. “The great promise of a comprehensive trade deal with the USA now seems like an impossible dream,” he said.
“Chill winds don’t just blow through the international trading order. The postwar certainties that underpinned our security as a nation are visibly crumbling. With a hot war on the European mainland perpetrated by a revanchist Russia and an increasingly disengaged America, it is beyond peradventure that we must look to solidarity with our friends and neighbours in Europe to secure our defences.”
He concluded: “The argument is there to be won. It is time to talk about rejoining. It might be time to knock on the EU’s door.” » | Rowena Mason and Lisa O’Carroll | Friday, April 24, 2026
It is to be hoped that this gentleman will apologize to the British electorate for leading them down the primrose path! — © Mark Alexander
Britain should start talking about rejoining the EU, according to a former senior civil servant who ran the Brexit department.
Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, said the “argument was there to be won” about going back into Europe, adding that a “clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests” was needed. However, he said rejoining the bloc could be a “long and windy” road.
“Most economic analysis suggests that we have taken a significant hit to GDP as a result of leaving the single market,” he wrote in the Times. “The precise number, and the impact on our export performance to the EU and beyond, might be subject to debate, but no one can credibly claim that we have marched to the sunny uplands of sustained economic growth as a consequence of Brexit.”
Rycroft said the promises of the Brexit campaign on issues from economics to immigration had not lived up to expectations. “The great promise of a comprehensive trade deal with the USA now seems like an impossible dream,” he said.
“Chill winds don’t just blow through the international trading order. The postwar certainties that underpinned our security as a nation are visibly crumbling. With a hot war on the European mainland perpetrated by a revanchist Russia and an increasingly disengaged America, it is beyond peradventure that we must look to solidarity with our friends and neighbours in Europe to secure our defences.”
He concluded: “The argument is there to be won. It is time to talk about rejoining. It might be time to knock on the EU’s door.” » | Rowena Mason and Lisa O’Carroll | Friday, April 24, 2026
It is to be hoped that this gentleman will apologize to the British electorate for leading them down the primrose path! — © Mark Alexander
April 18, 2026
More Than Half of Britons Support Rejoining EU 10 Years On from Brexit Vote
THE GUARDIAN: Experts say Labour’s ‘halfway house’ approach risks losing support from progressives and ‘red wall’ voters
Support for rejoining the EU rather than simply rejoining the single market is growing among British voters, with more than 80% of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party supporters favouring this option, according to research mapping voter attitudes 10 years after the Brexit referendum.
Labour’s “muted” approach to the issue means it risks losing support among progressive voters and in “red wall” constituencies, experts have said as part of research by Best for Britain.
While 61% of all voters supported the government’s current approach to EU relations, only 19% did so “strongly”, the research showed.
A full return to the EU was supported by 53% of all voters with support at 83% among Labour voters, 84% Liberal Democrat and 82% Green, the polling found.
Of Conservative and Reform voters, 39% and 18% backed the policy respectively, Best for Britain found. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Friday, April 17, 2026
Support for rejoining the EU rather than simply rejoining the single market is growing among British voters, with more than 80% of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party supporters favouring this option, according to research mapping voter attitudes 10 years after the Brexit referendum.
Labour’s “muted” approach to the issue means it risks losing support among progressive voters and in “red wall” constituencies, experts have said as part of research by Best for Britain.
While 61% of all voters supported the government’s current approach to EU relations, only 19% did so “strongly”, the research showed.
A full return to the EU was supported by 53% of all voters with support at 83% among Labour voters, 84% Liberal Democrat and 82% Green, the polling found.
Of Conservative and Reform voters, 39% and 18% backed the policy respectively, Best for Britain found. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Friday, April 17, 2026
April 11, 2026
Rob Groves: BREXIT - 63% Now Want Back In. Thanks, Trump!
Apr 11, 2026 | Ten years ago, 52% of voters chose to leave the European Union, on the basis of lies painted on a bus and a campaign bankrolled by dodgy money. A decade on, the bill keeps arriving. Haulage companies going bust at twice the pre-Brexit rate, food prices rising, trade barriers grinding away at the economy, and a so-called special relationship with America that turned out to be a vassal state telling itself a flattering story.
Meanwhile, the latest YouGov polling shows 63% of Britons would now vote to rejoin the EU. Among 18-25 year olds, that figure is 86%. Even among retirees, 60% say they'd vote to rejoin. The tide has turned. The argument has been won. The question now is: what happens next?
Meanwhile, the latest YouGov polling shows 63% of Britons would now vote to rejoin the EU. Among 18-25 year olds, that figure is 86%. Even among retirees, 60% say they'd vote to rejoin. The tide has turned. The argument has been won. The question now is: what happens next?
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In this video, I break down why senior Labour politicians are suddenly finding their voices to criticize the economic damage of leaving the EU.
We look at the latest YouGov data showing a massive 82% of Labour voters now support rejoining the EU—leaving Keir Starmer in a nearly impossible political position. Why did he set "Red Lines" back in 2022 that ruled out the Single Market and Customs Union, and can he ever walk them back?
In this video, I break down why senior Labour politicians are suddenly finding their voices to criticize the economic damage of leaving the EU.
We look at the latest YouGov data showing a massive 82% of Labour voters now support rejoining the EU—leaving Keir Starmer in a nearly impossible political position. Why did he set "Red Lines" back in 2022 that ruled out the Single Market and Customs Union, and can he ever walk them back?
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