Thursday, May 21Thursday, May 21The debate over the UKās potential re-entry into the European Union has resurfaced, driven by political divisions within the Labour Party and broader economic concerns. Former EU Brexit officials have reiterated that the UK would not be granted the same favorable terms it previously held if it sought to rejoin. Instead, the EU would adopt a "welcoming but pragmatic" stance, requiring the UK to accept all existing EU policies, including adoption of the euro, Schengen membership, and no opt-outsāconditions that would likely be politically contentious .
The discussion gained momentum after Labour leadership contender Wes Streeting described Brexit as a "catastrophic mistake" and advocated for rejoining the EU. His remarks intensified pressure on rival Andy Burnham, who has historically supported re-entry but is now campaigning in the pro-Brexit Makerfield constituency. Burnham has since distanced himself from calls to rejoin, emphasizing a focus on domestic issues and stating that Britain would remain "stuck in a permanent rut" if it continued debating Brexit. He argued that the priority should be fixing the country rather than revisiting EU membership .
The European Commission has avoided engaging in speculation about the UKās potential re-entry, stating that current discussions focus on "closer cooperation" rather than formal reintegration. This cautious approach reflects the EUās reluctance to entertain major policy shifts amid ongoing negotiations . Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has maintained a neutral stance, prioritizing domestic policy achievementsāsuch as economic growth and NHS improvementsāover revisiting Brexit .
The renewed debate has also reignited concerns about UK trade policy, with analysts warning that persistent Brexit divisions could undermine economic stability. While Labourās leadership contenders have signaled a desire to reverse Brexit, the political feasibility remains uncertain, particularly in constituencies with strong pro-Brexit sentiment .
> Background: **UK faces tougher EU re-entry terms with no special deals, ex-officials warn.** ā *2 hours ago*
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No tailor-made deal for UK if it wants to rejoin bloc, say former EU Brexit officials Britain likely to face warm, welcoming stance if it seeks re-entry but also a hard-headed one ā with no special dealsBritain would not be able to rejoin the EU on the special terms it enjoyed in the past, veterans of the Brexit negotiations have said.According to former officials from around Europe, the UK should not expect to achieve as beneficial a deal as it once had if it decided to begin negotiations on re-entry. Continue reading...
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Could the UK really rejoin the EU? - The Latest The Brexit debate has been reignited after Labour leadership contender Wes Streeting called it a catastrophic mistake and said the UK should rejoin the European Union. His comments put pressure on rival Andy Burnham, who has previously advocated for rejoining the bloc but is fighting a byelection in the leave-voting Makerfield constituency. But how would rejoining work and would the EU even agree to it? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardians Europe correspondent, Jon Henley Continue reading...
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![I am not going to walk away, says Starmer ā UK politics live The prime minister said he wouldnt be setting out a timetable to stand down if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield byelectionJakub Krupa writes the Guardians Europe live blog.The European Commission has been asked about its response to the renewed talk about Britains potential future attempt to rejoin the European Union ā but did not take a bait.At this stage, there are discussions on closer cooperation in a number of areas, thats where we are, and thats what we are doing precisely in preparation for the next summit rather than speculating about big or renewed issues.We are not there. If we ever are in that situation, I will gladly reply to [this question].I just wanted to come here to Labour party headquarters to say a big thank you to you. The election results were not the ones that we wanted, they were really tough. But you worked your socks off.
Its not been easy circumstances in the last 10 days. But you have just got on with the job that we asked you to do.
If you look at just some of the figures that came out last week. We had growth figures that were the best in the G7. Thats because of the hard work that weve done in government. On the economy weve got ourselves into a good position, having inherited a real basket case from the last government.
The NHS figures were really good, which again vindicates what we did, which was invest in the NHS, which is what we said we would do.
And thats on top of all the other things ā¦ The Employment Rights Act. The biggest upgrade in renters rights in a generation.
And then of course all the work that we are doing around child poverty, of which I am really proud. What a game changer that will be for a whole generation and will be measured for years and years to come because the children will feel the impact for the rest of their lives. They will have chances they wouldnt otherwise have had.
The election results tell us that people are frustrated, they dont feel that their lives have changed quickly enough.
We need to build up the urgency of what we do. We need a bit more hope in there. And we need to remember at all times what we are here to do. We were elected to government to serve the people of this country.
And I remind myself every day that in July 2024 millions of people voted for us to come into government, to get on with the job, to govern, and to bring about the change that they want.
So I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as prime minister of this country. Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life. And that is what I am going to be doing.
We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is. Whoever they are I am going to support them 100 and I want every member, everyone in our movement, to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in. Continue reading...](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3d4cb48b2b793e697ba61a5eda3e11be8cc2d378/500_0_5000_4000/master/5000.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=4592a1391f1911cd9c37b56b7be83fb0)
I am not going to walk away, says Starmer ā UK politics live The prime minister said he wouldnt be setting out a timetable to stand down if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield byelectionJakub Krupa writes the Guardians Europe live blog.The European Commission has been asked about its response to the renewed talk about Britains potential future attempt to rejoin the European Union ā but did not take a bait.At this stage, there are discussions on closer cooperation in a number of areas, thats where we are, and thats what we are doing precisely in preparation for the next summit rather than speculating about big or renewed issues.We are not there. If we ever are in that situation, I will gladly reply to [this question].I just wanted to come here to Labour party headquarters to say a big thank you to you. The election results were not the ones that we wanted, they were really tough. But you worked your socks off. Its not been easy circumstances in the last 10 days. But you have just got on with the job that we asked you to do. If you look at just some of the figures that came out last week. We had growth figures that were the best in the G7. Thats because of the hard work that weve done in government. On the economy weve got ourselves into a good position, having inherited a real basket case from the last government. The NHS figures were really good, which again vindicates what we did, which was invest in the NHS, which is what we said we would do. And thats on top of all the other things ā¦ The Employment Rights Act. The biggest upgrade in renters rights in a generation. And then of course all the work that we are doing around child poverty, of which I am really proud. What a game changer that will be for a whole generation and will be measured for years and years to come because the children will feel the impact for the rest of their lives. They will have chances they wouldnt otherwise have had. The election results tell us that people are frustrated, they dont feel that their lives have changed quickly enough. We need to build up the urgency of what we do. We need a bit more hope in there. And we need to remember at all times what we are here to do. We were elected to government to serve the people of this country. And I remind myself every day that in July 2024 millions of people voted for us to come into government, to get on with the job, to govern, and to bring about the change that they want. So I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as prime minister of this country. Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life. And that is what I am going to be doing. We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is. Whoever they are I am going to support them 100 and I want every member, everyone in our movement, to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in. Continue reading...
theguardian Ā· 2 days ago
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gdeltproject.org Ā· 2 days ago
Andy Burnham says he will not try to return UK to EU Burnham vows to have relentless domestic focus in first speech since announcing Makerfield byelection runUK politics live ā latest updatesAndy Burnham has said he will not try to return the UK into the EU, saying Britain would be stuck in a a permanent rut if were just constantly arguing.In his first major speech since announcing his byelection run, the mayor of Greater Manchester said he would have a relentless domestic focus in Makerfield, saying: Lets fix our own country. Lets get it working again. Lets get it back to where people want it to be. Continue reading...
theguardian Ā· 2 days ago
UK Trade Policy Fears Grow as Brexit Divisions Return in Britain London 2026 LONDON, United Kingdom ā May 18, 2026 ā Brussels Morning NewspaperĀ āĀ UK trade policy has once again become one of the most discussed political and economic topics in Britain after renewed Brexit tensions pushed the issue back into national headlines. The latest political disagreements surrounding Britains future relationship with the European Union have triggered fresh concerns [ā¦]
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