Burnham - rejoin Europe in one shape or form?

This will make the pro Europe supporters happy, from the Independent.
trib.al/A9MvUqt

Well, well, well.

Other parties - please note. Decide on a pragmatic basis it's worth looking at ...gasp...^actual compromises^ to help business people.

The promises at the time - who can forget - about the wonderful opportunities in World Trade we would get by leaving - because of the hard Brexit imposed on all of us - and where are they now?

Labour wont like having to remove the VAT on private school fees if we rejoin the EU.

I can’t believe we will rejoin the EU.

Sago

Labour wont like having to remove the VAT on private school fees if we rejoin the EU.

The cruellest decision they ever made as it penalised parents of SEND children, many of them not able to find the extra money so had to remove their children back into mainstream education which had failed them in the first place.

Sounds like parents who currently pay 28% VAT on schools fees will defiantly be highly motivated to vote for any party that proposes to rejoin the EU then.

Other voters will also think whether their financial and other interest lie in staying out of EU or rejoining and similarly vote accordingly.

I’m happy to stay out -
No surprise there though.

Oreo

I can’t believe we will rejoin the EU.

Me neither Oreo it’s all puff and nonsense I’d bet my house on it (if I had one).

It's three years till next GE- so a case of wait and see.

The majority of the public wish were never left the EU and it was a mistake to do so. Can't see the number of people changing their mind any time soon.

I voted remain and still wish we had. Do those now enthusiastically trumpeting rejoin think that decision is solely down to the UK? The French under de Gaulle twice used their veto to block the UK's application for membership in the 60s. While I don't think there would be a veto used now, the terms of membership might make rejoining unacceptable. We cannot rejoin at any cost, terms must be fair to all. I hope some advancement to at least closer ties can be made soon.

Exactly Rosie51
The EU could tell us to where to stick our desire to rejoin - and who could blame them?
We need to make Brexit work and forget about rejoining.

At this urgent time I am see nothing great about rejoining the EU.

All countries need to work together against common foes, not just those in Europe.

Spell check 😡

At this current time I can see

Gransnet demographic is not representative of the rest of the UK.

The younger demographic you go the higher the number of voters who wish to rejoin UK becomes. Current 18 to 25 years old did not have a referendum vote and a large cohort feel they have lost benefits of EU membership.

Time will tell.
The next GE in 3 years or whenever will be very interesting.

GrannyGravy13

At this urgent time I am see nothing great about rejoining the EU.

All countries need to work together against common foes, not just those in Europe.

While you're right about working together against a common foe life still has to go on as normal for a country's citizens.

And for the UK's citizens Brexit has not been a success. It has reduced our GDP, as predicted at the time and has made trading with the EU difficult or impossible for many. To erect barriers between us and our nearest and largest market was just madness.

Freedom of movement may not have seemed important to those who just used Europe for holidays, but for those livelihood depended on being able to move freely in and out of Europe losing it has been 'difficult'...

And yet France are in a mess -

Sébastien Lecornu, the French prime minister, is hoping to cut €54bn (£46bn) of public spending in his budget as he battles to bring down the deficit in Europe’s second largest economy.

MaizieD our family home was in Europe, as a family we were/are fully aware of freedom of movement.

A definite no to rejoining the EU, it would be a total disaster! We are still under EU rules as Brexit was never fully implemented and that is why we are in the mess we are in. Absolute madness to even think of it.

And. From the Telegraph today:

“But what if things aren’t quite that bad? What if there are actually reasons to be a little cheerful about the UK economy and its prospects? Or rather, one big reason: artificial intelligence. Recent economic data contain a few glimmers of hope that AI could be good for the UK – and because of things that we have often seen as weaknesses. The very economic model that politicians like to criticise means Britain is actually well-placed to surf the AI wave.

Last week, official estimates for economic growth in the second quarter of the year were revised up modestly, to 0.5 per cent. The UK enjoyed the fastest economic growth of any G7 industrial nation in the first half of 2026. Exactly why isn’t fully clear, but there are clues that AI is starting to deliver real benefits.

The UK is a services economy. About 80 per cent of our gross domestic product – and almost 85 per cent of our jobs – come from doing things that don’t involve making physical stuff. As a nation, we talk, we type, we plan, we advise, we sell.”

I don’t want to hitch my wagon to the EU.
No siree.

When I was working in France, I was struck at the high level of daily commuting between the two countries. Many French commuted to London and other southern employment and visa-versa for the Brits.

This has become infinitely more difficult now and has to a large degree ceased.

I guess I was a sort of commuter, working for the government. So only commuted intermittently.

You won’t need to hitch your wagon though FriedGreenTomatoes2, you’ll still be able to think and say what you like either way. If the electorate disagrees with you, C’est la vie.

Totally agree Casdon I was just stating my own preference there.

The Telegraph is a little cheerful about the UK economy - good to know. and others not.

There's no doubt however the UK economy has been adversely impacted by Brexit so redoing or developing a closer relationship with the EU would be positive for the UK economy.

"And yet France are in a mess".

Which countries inside and outside the EU are not in a mess? Is the UK in 'a mess'?

The UK would be in less of a mess inside the EU or at least with a closer relationship with the EU, than outside and continuing with status quo.

LemonJam

It's three years till next GE- so a case of wait and see.

The majority of the public wish were never left the EU and it was a mistake to do so. Can't see the number of people changing their mind any time soon.

I feel that neither you nor I can know what the majority of the British public think.