Time to reactivate this forum - moving back to EU ?

[EmmaOfNormandy]

For some voters, this might make Labour the only viable choice at the next election if Conservatives and their side of the divide make it a policy point that they would not consider some form of rejoining.

The question is, since Labour are the ones in power now, they are the ones who could stack the deck when it comes to any terms of (re) entry.

LOL. I've just checked, my electricity in France is more than 50% cheaper than what I pay in the UK.

The UK is too wee & too poor to go it alone.

The Empire is deid.

The red wall labour ‘leave’ voters are very happy, because they got what they wanted which was for their earnings to go up. The cost of skilled trades like electricians, plumbers, builders has gone though the roof post brexit, but the middle class ‘professions’ don’t like plumbers and electricians earning more than they do…

I voted remain by the way, but I do understand why a lot of people didn’t. However rather than just moan about it I moved from the UK to an EU country. No regrets, other than I do wish that the EU could organise functioning border control. Many (most?) developed world countries already capture biometric data and have done for years without the chaos or queues that the implementation in the EU has resulted in. Part of that is because every other country captures some of the data in advance via mandatory online ESTAs, and part of that is because they don’t have the situation where the equivalent of every country (ie state or airport) is using different hardware / software and trying to connect them all together…

Lucky you! The power of nuclear I guess. I’m in Italy, where electricity seems to be broadly comparable price wise to the UK, if not a bit more, at 32 cents a kWh. But I think we also use a lot of gas. Standing charges seem lower though :)

@unsync

LOL. I've just checked, my electricity in France is more than 50% cheaper than what I pay in the UK.

Sounds about right. However, that’s due to France’s decision to stick with Nuclear as opposed to being in the EU.

UK prices are huge due to pursuit of net zero and not using their own fuels. UK buys oil from Norway which is taken from the North Sea!

The hit to GDP will take decades to correct, even if we were to rejoin.

Companies that have already exited the UK and moved their main operations to other European countries are unlikely simply to return because we rejoin. It doesn’t work that way.

The UK would first need to rebuild its reputation for reliability, stability and responsibility as a long-term trading partner. That process would take time. It could easily be 20 years before international businesses once again regarded the UK as a sufficiently stable and dependable place in which to make major long-term investment decisions.

Only then might companies begin to include the UK more fully in their future investment plans. Over a further 20–30 years, some businesses might gradually decide that establishing or expanding operations in the UK once again makes commercial sense.

So even if the UK were to rejoin, the economic consequences of having left would not simply be reversed. Rejoining might eventually help rebuild the UK’s position, but restoring the investment, confidence and economic relationships that have been lost would likely be a very long-term process.

@celticnations

The UK is too wee & too poor to go it alone.

Smaller countries than the UK have said no to full EU membership. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

Yes, and this is a clear indication of why it was such an incredibly stupid idea to leave.

The fact that it may take decades to undo the damage is no reason not to do so. If anything, it's more reason to do so urgently.

@Copernicus321

What hit to GDP? Since leaving the EU, the UK has grown faster than, Germany, France and Italy.

UK also has lower immigration than those countries. Lower tariffs on exports to the US. The world’s largest economy.

I used that comment tongue-cheek. It's the comment used against Scottish Independence.

Thank you.

I think if we didn't rejoin in the next five years the UK should break up and the civilised bits rejoin and leave the ignorant bits behind but I haven't worked out how we stop those bits from hassling the good bits

Barrier already said euro and schengen are not red lines to rejoining. Biggest problem will be how much will it cost us. I don't think it can be done. We really went for the worst of all worlds in our brexit "deal".

Ah, EEImmigrant talking nonsense as per usual.

Yes, the UK economy has grown faster, because it fell FAR, FAR LOWER mainly because of Brexit.

But shills are going to shill...

@MaybeNotBob

Yes, the UK economy has grown faster, because it fell FAR, FAR LOWER mainly because of Brexit.

Contradictory. What World event, or events, were experienced by the EU, but not by the UK after they left the EU that resulted in EU growth falling faster than that of the UK?

Brexit was a stupid decision, but the 10 year real GDP growth numbers, in absolute and per capita terms, don’t support your statement. Since 2016 UK GDP has grown 15% in real terms, while France has grown 11%, Germany 8% and Italy 8%. Spain has grown at 18%. If you take a 20 year view to encompass the 2008 financial crisis then the UK has grown at 32%, France and Germany 24%, Italy just 6% and Spain 34%. Spain benefitting hugely from EU money over that time frame, to the detriment of France, Germany and for part of the period the UK :)

I hope not! I voted remain and was a slightly bitter rejoiner at the start but it's been over 10 years and it's a settled issue imo, everything has moved on a lot since then. There's no evidence for that much-touted estimated 8% lost gdp is there? I think it's time to let it go and focus on closer global ties with every ally we can get Inc the EU.

People talk about the EU as if it's some sun lit economic utopia. In reality, most of its big members are dealing with stagnant growth, bad public finances, and the same mass asylum and illegal immigration pressures as everyone else, often worse. France, Italy, Germany have debt problems, budget problems, social unrest and weak productivity. Spain has a huge housing crisis and has caused upset by granting residency to over 500k undocumented illegal immigrants.

The Dublin Agreement does not work.

This idea that the UK is miles behind is just comforting mythology. How would the average Briton's life be improved by hooking us back up to the political bloc with the billions demanded by Brussels, uncapped immigration and Eurozone instability if we were forced to adopt the Euro?

@BadPennyReturns

How would the average Briton's life be improved by hooking us back up to the political bloc with the billions demanded by Brussels, uncapped immigration and Eurozone instability if we were forced to adopt the Euro?

As per the YouGov article 9 June 2026, only 31% thought their household finances would improve if the UK rejoined the EU. Not a particular high number.