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?

Pretty much my views on this.

I think we will quietly be aligning with the EU over the next few years on various things rather than moving apart. And when today's teens are in their 30s enough time will have passed to think about it. Of course the EU and the world will look different, but then so will the UK.

Thise of us who didn't want to leave need to thank the Good Friday Agreement for things not being a hundred times worse. We would have completely isolated ourselves if not for the turmoil it caused for Brexit.

And now negotiations are still ongoing with the DUP about borders and goods etc. so we may be aligning more anyway.

Good luck with this happening any time soon. We will have regulatory alignment with the EU if Labour get in which is sensible.

I never knew whether Brexit could be a success because the people who put themselves forward to do and lead it were so utterly awful. The real dregs of the Conservatives; no one can say they were the best. We have actually dug a hole for ourselves deliberately. We had an unbelievable deal from the EU and swapped it for... well the z list of the Conservatives

"Running OK" wasn't what Boris promised.

We are going to be ever more isolated as the rest of Europe moves on, the latest is the Stockpiling of Medicines by the EU, protecting their own supplies.

What can the UK do to make sure we get the drugs we need, its already a massive problem.
Is the Govt even planning on getting a plan together?

If inflation is nothing to do with Brexit, why is inflation in the EuroZone much lower? 2.9% vs 4%
In percentage terms, thats a big difference.

Leavers might well like to say "oh Brexit is long gone" but its not at all.

My part of the country isn't Running OK thanks to the Brexit fuckwittery. The UK needs to finish Brexit and get over it before any conversation about rejoining should happen.

YABU OP.

I agree with this. I was very torn which way to vote at the referendum. On the one hand I didn't particularly want to leave, but at the same time I was very concerned about some of the rhetoric coming from the staunch europhiles and the plans for continued expansion but no acceptance that some of the policies were actually unpopular. It felt like it could very easily turn into a huge tinderbox.

COVID right after we left wasn't ideal, but it will be impossible to know how much difference it made.

For me personally, I wouldn't rush to rejoin as some of my misgivings are still playing out and I don't know which way they are going to go.

Brexit will nrver be done.

The UK - Canada trade deal talks that have just been passed were about roling over a previous agreement the UK had as an EU member

Thf first phase of new checks on food imports from the EU starts next week, the second phase in April.

The UK came out of the Horizon research programme, now it's back in

Keir Starmer, the likely next PM, wants to seek changes to the existing Brexit agreement. If the EU is willing to be negotiate, how long will that take.

Brexit is an ongoing, never-ending proces.

IMO the thing people notice bar FOM for goods (whether there’s friction or not) is FOM of people

It can’t just be one not the other, whether the public would say yes to the SM / CU which means FOM idk

It would have to be as a vote to find out. More likely a GE manifesto

My theory/hope is that assuming Labour win, that will be in their policy for their second term

it’s just too upsetting/polarising and controversial atm. A few years down the line, hopefully they can start to rebuild the relationship, lots of the Brexit mob will be dead and they can hopefully get a proper mandate and way more than a 52/48 split in favour

Under EU law, it’s illegal to add VAT to school fees. Given adding VAT to school fees is one of their major policies, they’d have to give that up first. And that’s cash they’ve spent about 10 times over.

Because the EuroZone is made up of 20 countries, all with different economies and inflation levels. Comparing that with one single country is beyond ridiculous.

Additionally, the EU (basically Germany at this point) is going to start having more problems over time as the continued lack of cheap russian fuel ripples further throughout the manufacturing sector.

We got our COVID vaccines before the EU, so we can buy our own drugs, it's just up to the government to not be useless.

I campaigned staunchly for remain - but why would EU want us back?
If they did, would be on far less favourable terms - and with the current undemocratic voting system, doubtless it would be all change again in 4 or 8 years time.

Far better campaigning hard of getting shot of the undemocratic FPTP voting system so that the UK gets a more stale government and less see-sawing between extremes.

If inflation is nothing to do with Brexit, why is inflation in the EuroZone much lower? 2.9% vs 4%

France 3.7%
Germany 3.7%
Austria 5.6%
Ireland 4.6%
Sweden 4.4%

I must have missed those countries leaving the EU. The picture isn't as black and white as you might like to paint it.

The Tories & Reform would love Labour to do that. The Red Wall would be lost. And we'd spend their whole first term consumed with Brexit.

The Referendum was not run on Party lines

No. I want this as much the next Returner but politics has stagnated to such a degree, only deteriorating, over the last 10 years that we need to move the story onwards.

There seems to be quite a lot of unrest in the EU what with all the farmers protests in The Netherlands last year, Germany and France more recently. I don’t quite remember what it’s all about, but it does suggest that not all is great within the EU.

Omg LOL

Totally incorrect the UK has an FTA with Canada and were re-negotiating it to enhance it. Yes the EU has an FTA with Canada, but so does the UK! And that's before CPTPP where Canada is also a member

Why Labour? their members and supporters were as split on the Brexit issue as conservatives.
There is already a party that is dedicated to campaigning to rejoin. There is also a “major” party (Libdems) who are essentially pro Europe.

Regardless, we would never be able to rejoin on the favourable terms we previously had. We would have equal voting rights, have to adopt the Euro as currency (as all new members do) and have a roadmap to align rules and regulations with the rest of the EU. We were previously exempt a lot of this. New EU membership will not be the same as our old membership. That’s why a lot of remaininers were warning at the time that a Brexit would eventually lead to more EU integration once people realised it was a mistake.

But, I think this is years down the line. It is still far too divisive for any main party to adopt this as a main policy.

Because traditional red voters, mostly up north were the ones who switched sides to prop up the Boris government based on lies and xenophobia.

Now the red wall realise they've been fucked over, they're very likely to vote red again, except if this new Labour government promise to undo the very thing they cared the absolute most about "keeping the foreigners out"

That's his reality.

The FTA the UK had with Canada was as a member of the EU.

As the UK is no longer a member, it has to negotiate its own FTA, it has no choice.

Far from enhancing the deal, Canada wants the UK to accept a worse deal than it had. That's why the talks have stalled.

Oh, and if Canada were to give the UK a better deal than the EU currently has, the Eu could demand those enhancements for itself, under the terms of its existing agreement.

I suspect many remainers were, like me, inclined to stay but not passionate about the EU. So the electoral calculations aren’t as simple as hordes of voters saying “oh no, look at what we’ve done; quick, go backwards”.

The reasons the other states wanted us to stay were (i) that the political ‘project’ moves more effectively the bigger the EU is at any point, and (ii) we were net contributors.

The Commission had become very difficult to deal with because of (i). France in particular was very unhappy about no UK because of (ii).

My reasons for staying were the benefits from (largely) frictionless trade and travel, and a hope that we could better improve the EU from within.

And the vote was close. My unshakeable belief is that if the EU had flexed a bit more when Cameron went there pre-referendum we’d still be in. But the Commission can be very pigheaded, as can the largest members. We’ve all lost out on what on balance was better for all of us.

I do think the EU wants us back, but the difficulties in rejoining can be found both there and here. It’s not easy.

And Russia’s antics may well make all this a sideshow anyway.

Plus there's a list of countries already in the EU waiting room such as Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. They will be processed before the UK.

Now I am not sure if these countries will be contributors or receivers to money when within the EU, but if we rejoin, the UK will always be a contributor so we have to look at the figures required from us.

Like previous posters have said, it's not the same terms anymore. We get no rebate, the fees will be doubled, possibly tripled if the above countries do not contribute much or at all. Germany, the big powerhouse of the EU, is struggling. We have to scrutinise all the facts. It will be very messy.

Still going on about this?

If Labour do what you suggest they would lose the election.

Brexit will never be "finished"!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂

Thank fuck for the GFA. It's one of the things that put a halt to us totally fucking ourselves.