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

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9 days · 11 summary articles
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.
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