Britain should begin working towards rejoining the European Union. The strongest reason is simple: membership would offer British people better economic opportunities, greater freedom and more influence over decisions that affect their lives.
That argument deserves to be made without sneering at anyone who voted Leave. People wanted better public services, stronger communities and a greater say in their future. Those were legitimate ambitions. The question is whether Brexit has helped deliver them—and whether continuing along the same path serves us well.
A democratic country must be able to reconsider a decision in the light of experience. We owe the future more than permanent loyalty to the arguments of 2016.
The economic case starts with the barriers we have placed between British businesses and their European customers. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the post-Brexit trading relationship will leave long-run UK productivity 4% lower than it would have been under continued membership. It also expects imports and exports to be around 15% lower than otherwise. These are estimates against a hypothetical alternative, rather than measurements of an economy shrinking by those amounts. Nevertheless, they describe a substantial cost. Source: Office for Budget Responsibility.
Productivity can sound remote from everyday life. In practice, it helps determine how far wages can rise and how much revenue the economy can generate for public services. Making commerce more difficult weakens the foundations on which better living standards depend.
Rejoining would offer a route to reducing those barriers and making Britain a more attractive place to invest, manufacture and build a business. The gains would take time, and we should not pretend that reversing Brexit would automatically recover every lost opportunity. But removing avoidable obstacles is a sensible place to start.
The consequences also reach the weekly shop. Research published by the London School of Economics’ Centre for Economic Performance in May 2023 estimated that Brexit-related food trade barriers had added £250 to the average household’s food costs over the period beginning in December 2019. That is a historical estimate, not an annual charge or a forecast of what households would save by rejoining. It nevertheless shows how trade policy can reach directly into family budgets. Source: LSE Centre for Economic Performance.
Brexit did not cause every price rise. Nor would EU membership solve Britain’s housing shortage, repair the NHS or replace competent government. Those problems require domestic action. But that is precisely why we should stop making the job harder through unnecessary economic friction.
There is also a more personal argument: British people deserve more choices about their own lives.
EU citizenship gives people rights to live, work, study and retire across member countries, subject to the relevant conditions. Rejoining would offer a route to restoring those opportunities more widely to British citizens, with the details depending on an accession agreement. Source: Your Europe.
For a young person, that might mean taking a first job abroad. For a couple, it might mean building a life closer to family. For someone approaching retirement, it could mean having a wider choice of where to settle. These freedoms have value even to people who never exercise them. Having an option is better than having it closed off.
For music and culture, the argument is especially tangible. DJs, bands, technicians and promoters depend on being able to move between countries and work together. Current government guidance tells British musicians to check individual countries’ immigration rules because requirements differ according to the activity and length of stay. Many countries allow some short-term work without visas or permits, but the system remains a patchwork. Source: UK government touring guidance.
An established artist can pay for professional advice. An emerging act has fewer resources. Every extra administrative hurdle can make a small European tour harder to justify. A closer, freer relationship would help the people whose careers begin with modest bookings, shared equipment and the willingness to take a chance.
The strongest objection to rejoining concerns sovereignty. Membership involves accepting shared rules and compromises. That is a real constraint, and supporters should acknowledge it.
But influence matters too. Inside the EU, British voters would again elect representatives to the European Parliament, while British ministers would participate in the Council, where national governments help adopt legislation. Most EU laws are agreed jointly by those two institutions. Source: European Commission.
Britain would sometimes lose an argument. It would also have the opportunity to win one, build alliances and shape the outcome. For a country deeply connected to its neighbours, that is a meaningful form of power.
Rejoining would require honesty about the terms. Britain could not assume that its former rebate and opt-outs would simply return. Accession requires agreement from every member state, European Parliament consent and ratification by the contracting parties. Source: Council of the European Union.
The currency question would also need open discussion. Under the current framework, EU countries other than Denmark are required to adopt the euro once the necessary conditions are met. Any British exception would have to be negotiated; campaigners cannot promise one in advance. Source: Council of the European Union.
Budget contributions, shared legal obligations and reciprocal freedom of movement would all belong in that debate. A credible campaign must explain why the benefits justify the commitments, then secure a clear democratic mandate.
Britain should pursue practical improvements in its European relationship while building that case. Success should be judged by whether people can earn a better living, businesses can find customers, artists can reach audiences and the next generation has more opportunities.
We cannot rerun the past. We can choose a better direction. Rejoining the European Union deserves to become a serious national ambition—because British people deserve the prosperity, freedom and influence that membership can help provide.
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