No 10 Explores Public Appetite for Reversing Brexit
Downing Street is testing how voters might respond to a pledge to rejoin the EU as debate grows within the governing Labour Party.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
Downing Street officials have been quietly gathering evidence on how British voters might respond to a pledge to rejoin the European Union, as debate grows within government over how directly to address the legacy of Brexit.
According to reports on internal discussions, aides to Prime Minister Andy Burnham have approached pollsters and European policy experts at multiple organizations to test public appetite for reversing the UK's 2016 decision to leave the bloc. The effort is said to reflect growing momentum inside the Labour Party for including a rejoin pledge in its next manifesto.
Weighing Political Risk
Any move to formally commit to EU membership would represent a significant shift in UK policy, and officials are understood to be weighing the political risk of such a pledge against the potential benefits of closer alignment with the bloc. Public opinion on Brexit has shifted since the original referendum, though views on the specifics of any return to EU membership remain varied.
No decision on including a rejoin commitment in the next Labour manifesto has been announced, and the research effort described in reporting remains at an exploratory stage.
Sources
- No 10 gathering evidence on public support for rejoining the EU — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
Comments
Loading comments…
Related articles
Downing Street Gathering Evidence on Public Support for UK Rejoining EU
Senior government officials have approached thinktanks and pollsters to test public backing for reversing Brexit.
Brexit referendum 'possible' in future Labour manifesto, says Burnham
The Labour figure said a referendum isn't right for now, but the UK needs to weigh its options for the future relationship with the EU.
Macron Welcomes Suggestion That UK Could Rejoin the EU
The French president reacted warmly after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham hinted Britain could consider returning to the European Union.
UK Polls Show Labour Gaining Ground as Reform UK Support Slips
Recent opinion polling suggests a shift in British politics, with Labour rising and Reform UK's momentum fading, according to Al Jazeera.
Readers Debate Whether Andy Burnham's Social Care Plans Go Far Enough
In letters responding to the Labour leader's conference speech, readers argue his proposals on social care and the state pension triple lock could be more ambitious.
Reader Warns Proportional Representation Could Backfire for Labour
Drawing on experience of Italian politics, a Guardian letter writer argues that first past the post remains preferable to proportional representation.