Brexits decade of division fuels UK calls to rejoin EU as Reform UK leads polls

Brexits decade of division fuels UK calls to rejoin EU as Reform UK leads polls
11 articles·9 sources·updated about 2 hours ago·View in graph

Story Timeline

9 days · 11 summary articles

scroll for more ↓
politicsunited kingdomeuropean unionitaly
Hosted in Europe · LFE News AI, Mistral AI & Black Forest Labs

Ten years after the United Kingdom’s historic vote to leave the European Union, the political and social consequences of Brexit remain fiercely contested, with polls showing a majority of Britons now believe the decision was a mistake. On 25 June 2026, a decade after the referendum, Labour politicians including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting are calling for the UK to rejoin the EU, while Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, leads in opinion polls. The debate, framed as “Ten years of Brexit: time for a reset?” by Eurotopics , underscores a nation deeply divided over the legacy of its most consequential modern policy.

Pro-Brexit voices, however, remain defiant. In a report published today by Al Jazeera, Britons who voted to leave in 2016 insist they have no regrets, arguing that while the UK may have “squandered the freedoms it won,” regaining control was the right decision . Their stance reflects a persistent belief that sovereignty, not economic integration, was the core promise of Brexit—and one they feel has not been fulfilled.

Yet the political fallout continues to reshape British governance. Al Jazeera’s analysis today highlights how weak leadership and volatile parliamentary dynamics have made Downing Street increasingly precarious, with successive prime ministers struggling to maintain authority in a post-Brexit landscape . The turbulence has extended beyond domestic politics, with Reform UK’s recent proposal to target EU nationals in Britain drawing sharp criticism. Social media posts today condemned the plan as a betrayal of Brexit’s foundational promises, with one Mastodon user calling it “absolutely outrageous” and a reason to consider rejoining the EU .

Across the Channel, the EU has emerged strengthened by Brexit. A report in *Expansión*, citing the *Financial Times*, notes that public support for EU membership has grown markedly across the bloc in the decade since the UK’s referendum . Meanwhile, the rise of hard-right parties in Europe has accelerated, with one in four Europeans now voting for far-right candidates—a doubling in support over ten years, according to a study by the PopuList Project cited by the *Daily Mail* .

As Britain grapples with its post-Brexit identity, the Labour Party’s struggles under Prime Minister Keir Starmer are being scrutinised beyond UK borders. Italian newspaper *Il Fatto Quotidiano* today frames Starmer’s tenure as a broader failure of left-wing governance, arguing that his government’s shortcomings offer lessons for progressive movements across Europe . With Reform UK’s polling lead and Labour’s declining fortunes, the coming years may determine whether Brexit’s legacy is one of irreversible fracture—or a catalyst for renewed European unity.

Share

Follow us for live European news

Source Intelligence
9 sources7 countries
Geographic Origin7 located
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1

2 further sources not geolocated

Political Spectrum5 mapped
CentreCentreRightRightLeftCentreLeft

Articles

One in four Europeans vote for hard-Right parties as support doubles in ten years According to a study by the PopuList Project the number of Europeans who voted for a far-right party in their countries most recent national elections had risen to more than 23 per cent.

One in four Europeans vote for hard-Right parties as support doubles in ten years According to a study by the PopuList Project the number of Europeans who voted for a far-right party in their countries most recent national elections had risen to more than 23 per cent.

dailymail · about 2 hours ago

Live From Europe

Why Britain devours its prime ministers Weak leaders are only part of the story. Restless MPs and volatile voters have made Downing Street harder to survive.

aljazeera · about 2 hours ago

Live From Europe

We did regain control: The Brexit voters with no regrets 10 years on The UK may have squandered the freedoms it won, but leaving the EU was the right decision, say pro-Brexit Britons.

aljazeera · about 2 hours ago

#Reform UK plan to target EU nationals based in Britain absolutely outrageous -  yet another reason to rejoin #eu: #farage wants to betray even the basic promises of #brexit further

#Reform UK plan to target EU nationals based in Britain absolutely outrageous - yet another reason to rejoin #eu: #farage wants to betray even the basic promises of #brexit further

mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago

Live From Europe

Dal fallimento delle politiche laburiste di Starmer arriva una lezione per il campo largo Dal numero 10 di Downing Street il messaggio va dritto alla sinistra europea. Il fallimento di Sir Keir Starmer non è un fallimento personale, forse lo è anche, ma non è importante. Piuttosto è il fallimento di un modello politico. Due anni fa, il 5 luglio del 2024, il Labour vince le elezioni politiche nel […] Larticolo Dal fallimento delle politiche laburiste di Starmer arriva una lezione per il campo largo proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

il fatto quotidiano · about 2 hours ago

Gavan Reilly: 7 PMs in 10 years show Starmergeddon might be the new norm Our political stats stan Gavan on the worrying trend of government by opinion poll.

Gavan Reilly: 7 PMs in 10 years show Starmergeddon might be the new norm Our political stats stan Gavan on the worrying trend of government by opinion poll.

thejournal · about 2 hours ago

Live From Europe

The Editors: Reader Comments | The Patriot Post

gdeltproject.org · about 2 hours ago

Loligarchie de la rue La Belgique, censée être une démocratie, est le siège depuis peu dépisodes faisant évoquer une oligarchie, cest-à-dire un endroit où un petit groupe de gens décide de ce qui peut ou ne peut pas se faire. ...

Loligarchie de la rue La Belgique, censée être une démocratie, est le siège depuis peu dépisodes faisant évoquer une oligarchie, cest-à-dire un endroit où un petit groupe de gens décide de ce qui peut ou ne peut pas se faire. ...

la libre · about 2 hours ago

Salimos fortalecidos: cómo el Brexit cohesionó a la UE El apoyo público a la pertenencia ha crecido de forma notable en todo el bloque en los años posteriores al referéndum británico de 2016. Leer

Salimos fortalecidos: cómo el Brexit cohesionó a la UE El apoyo público a la pertenencia ha crecido de forma notable en todo el bloque en los años posteriores al referéndum británico de 2016. Leer

expansion · about 2 hours ago

Live From Europe

The next decade will be better | The Independent - United Kingdom

eurotopics.net · about 2 hours ago

Live From Europe

Debate: Ten years of Brexit: time for a reset? Ten years after the Brexit referendum, a majority of Britons believe that leaving the European Union was a mistake. Leading Labour politicians such as the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, are calling for the UK to rejoin the EU. At the same time, the Reform UK party led by "Mr Brexit" Nigel Farage has been leading the polls for months. The press looks at where the country is heading.

eurotopics.net · about 2 hours ago