To think Labour should add ‘getting us back in the EU’ to their election manifesto

[bluewanda]

We had the referendum, we gave Brexit a go, and nearly 9 years on, I think it’s plain for most people to see that leaving the EU was a massive mistake. Even people I know who voted for Brexit admit that now they wished they hadn’t, given the shitshow that has unfolded since. So, why not nip it in the bud and get back in the EU ASAP? If Labour would add it to their election manifesto that would speed up the process, as we’d have a mandate by the end of this year. So why don’t they?

Why do you assume they'd have us back? I don't disagree it was / is a huge mistake but how many more billions would it cost to reverse it?

Because there's no momentum to rejoin? I doubt it's in the top 10 of issues voters care about right now. Plus it would take years, the pound would have to be replaced by the Euro which would be very devisive etc etc etc

I’m convinced remainers have got some sort of Stockholm syndrome.

A mandate for something that important would have to come from a referendum. They aren't going to risk that. So with or without anything in their manifesto (probably something woolly and not clearly defined) they'll probably just tie us back into the EU in some way without giving the electorate a proper say, as happened before under Major and New Labour, all of which caused all the problems in the first place. And probably get something in return from the EU for this helpful cooperation - I guess at France suddenly deciding to cooperate re the illegal migrant trade across the channel which they could stop in an instant if they really wanted to, but they're playing the card of making us sign back into the EU in some way first.

There is probably not a perfect overlap between "people who might vote for them" and "people who think that is practical or realistic".

Labour are currently operating on the principle of "vote for us as we're not the other lot" so will avoid saying anything remotely divisive between now and the election.

They could do the SM / CU but ruled it out early

I see posters link to polls on Brexit regret on here so why not get those votes?

Maybe it doesn’t quite shift enough to FOM or Starmer is too concerned it doesn’t

It would probably lead to Labour losing the next election. There was a reason why Corbyn never got off the fence with Brexit! There are still lots of people who would vote against rejoining the EU and it would split the Labour vote at the next GE!

The last thing we need right now is for politics and politicians to be dominated by the EU again - back to years of infighting etc. Even if a decision was made to re-join, there'd be years of negotiation with Brussels about terms, costs, almost certainly having to accept the Euro as currency, etc - it would drag on for years. Probably a decade before we were back "in" the EU properly.

Brexit happened, we need to get over it and move on. We can't have another decade of stagnation whilst negotiating and waiting to rejoin. We've made our bed and need to lay in it. We need to spend the next few years concentrating on economic growth, and righting the mistakes of the past 25 years! Spending huge amounts of parliamentary time on a potential EU rejoin would be a distraction we can do without.

why should we want to join an organisation who are in recession, when we are not? So we can pay for them?

Much as I agree, I think that ship has sailed. To get back in now would be expensive and I strongly suspect we wouldn't be welcomed with open arms. Going back with our tail between our legs would put us on a back foot, because it means admitting we need the EU rather more than it needs us. The EU has carried on pretty well without us, despite some of us being of the belief that we were so important it would all collapse without us.

Labour are currently operating on the principle of "vote for us as we're not the other lot" so will avoid saying anything remotely divisive between now and the election.

I get that, and I will obviously be voting Labour because the Tories are bloody awful. But I wish they’d be more radical and give me more to vote for, apart from being the least worst option.

Ruling out raising income tax on higher earners is another area where I’ve been disappointed by their stance. They sound more Tory than Labour on that front!

Not being in the EU may not be in voters’ top concerns, but a lot of the concerns people do have (immigration, economic matters, healthcare, environment) were all areas that were better when we were in the EU and benefiting from all it had to offer.

Exactly. Starmer isn't particularly popular so Labour just need to keep their heads down and their noses clean to win the next GE. Not because people want Labour/Starmer, but because they don't want Sunak!

The worst thing Starmer could do is include anything potentially divisive or controversial in his manifesto as it gives people a reason not to vote for them!

They're already treading on eggshells around the trans issue, single sex spaces, etc., as they know they can't afford to alienate any section of the voters.

Its not up to labour. A uk government can't unilaterally decide to rejoin.

Brexit happened, we need to get over it and move on. We can't have another decade of stagnation whilst negotiating and waiting to rejoin. We've made our bed and need to lay in it.

Yes it did, but when you give something a go, then realise it’s not working, surely it’s better to admit that ASAP and rectify the error, rather than stubbornly carrying on while everything goes even more to shit? It’s cutting your losses in other words.

It’s kind of like buying a house - you sell up and move somewhere new because the grass looks greener, then realise the new house is a dump and the neighbours are awful. Do you carry on living there in misery, or take the financial hit and move again?

I’d be interested to see anything in Labours manifesto,in all honesty I couldn’t name one thing Labour have actually committed to, not that I think the tories are doin* a good job, they are not but Labours policies are unclear

Except in your house scenario, it would mean losing your house then the cost of a studio flat, in a shit neighbourhood that's getting worse by the day, with menacing neighbours would cost you 20x more your current mortgage & you'd be responsible for cleaning all the communal areas.

current mortgage/brexit needs to be made the most of.

you might have heard about a small thing called Covid? It's changed the world, not just the U.K.

Stop blaming Brexit.

oh & Starmer?? He won't make anything so 'obvious' part of his manifesto. Only vague things that the people can't see he's obviously failed at.

This

and i agree with the poster who said it would lose them the election

Even with those polls showing regret etc?

Why wouldn’t they convert to votes

you might have heard about a small thing called Covid? It's changed the world, not just the U.K.

Stop blaming Brexit.

Lol - ahhh, I didn’t realise all the shit being dumped in our waterways (to give but one example) was due to Covid. Silly me! 😂

EU wouldn’t take us back anyway so all pointless

A mandate for something that important would have to come from a referendum

A mandate for something as important as leaving the EU should not have come from a referendum that was decided on such a small margin. It was a farce.

I'm a remainer but think the way forward is for us to have a Norway or Swiss style agreement rather than re-join and given oxygen to the likes of Nigel Farage.

If you look at what’s happening in Europe with the migration problem that’s set to get worse and worse and worse. The countries are starting to replace their borders and elect more radical leaders that want to protect the settled population’s sovereignty as a priority.

I honestly think the European Union will adapt and change as time passes. We will probably become part of a new kind of European Governance so I think right now we sit and wait. Wars are only going to increase unfortunately, so countries that exist right now, but not even exist by the end of the decade.

They'd welcome us back with open arms but we'd have to adopt the Euro.

I haven’t read this, but the opposite, where did you see it?

YABU.

Its done and there are other matters to address.

Also it’s been 7.5 years

Why do you think that?

When we had the Ref Labour, as a party, did not campaign against it.

What makes you think they will do it now?