The UK’s future relationship with the EU continues to provoke strong opinions among Independent readers, many of whom argue the debate about rejoining should not be dropped entirely.
The discussion was prompted by European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, who ruled out both a customs union and rejoining the EU, saying there is “no appetite” to return to past debates while emphasising that alignment with the bloc is not a “dirty word.”
A recent reader poll showed that 78 per cent of respondents disagreed with Thomas-Symonds, believing the UK could re-enter the EU, while 22 per cent said the debate is over.
Readers were divided on whether reopening the question of EU membership is realistic. Some stressed respect for the 2016 referendum result, while others highlighted the ongoing economic costs of Brexit. Many, however, agreed that closer ties with the EU remain vital for trade, security, and Britain’s long-term global position.
Several commenters pointed to the potential benefits of rejoining or deepening alignment, citing examples like Turkey and Norway as evidence of economic gains, and warning that isolation as a medium-sized nation could be risky amid global instability. Others stressed the political risks, noting that revisiting membership could trigger domestic backlash and European scepticism over “cherry-picked” access, leaving the government to focus on pragmatic reset deals.
Overall, readers recognised the tension between public appetite for change and political caution, highlighting the challenge of balancing national interest with democratic debate.
Here’s what you had to say:
Democracy means we can ask the question again
I can't see any political party wanting to reopen that debate anytime soon, regardless of the obvious and ongoing damage leaving the EU has done to this country.
The lies told by Farage and Johnson are irrelevant to the debate. Whilst the Brexiteers narrowly won the argument in 2016, it will take a much larger majority in favour of rejoining the EU to overturn what is now a minority, albeit a loud and vocal minority.
We can only hope a party can get into power that is prepared to put this country first and win the argument for the majority. Of course, we will have to put up with the mock outrage from Farage and his supporters. Democracy means we can ask the question again, especially after the lies of 2016.
No appetite?
I think the minister’s comments are vacuous and absurd. He says that, talking to people up and down the country, there’s no appetite for a customs union or rejoining.
This is the same hearsay nonsense that all politicians use when trying to justify their pea-brained opinions.
No one has been able to point to a single advantage of Brexit in ten years.
Let’s hope that, if there is any positive outcome in the Ukraine war, we can get back to the heart of Europe, which is where we belong for economic and defence reasons.
If the Americans want to let religious zealots set their foreign policy, then they’ll be just as blind as Israel and Iran. Europeans need to show the world that our values are better.
A complete turnaround
I remember when Keir Starmer was Shadow Brexit Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn. He backed staying in the EU and kept pushing for a much closer relationship with it – basically a soft Brexit.
He was also one of the loudest voices in Labour calling for a second referendum, another vote on the final Brexit deal. In the end, that line helped push a lot of traditional Labour voters away, especially in Leave areas, and the party paid the price for it.
Then, once the UK had actually left the EU in 2020 and Starmer became leader of the Labour Party, he suddenly changed his tune – a complete turnaround – saying Brexit was settled and we wouldn’t be going back into the EU, the single market, or free movement.
Funny how quickly things change.
Not anytime soon
He might not believe that Britain will ever rejoin the EU, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. This is expectation management in the here and now, not a prediction for the future. I think we will rejoin – for defence and security reasons as much as economic ones – because being a medium-sized, isolated nation is dangerous given the conflicts developing around the world, but not anytime soon, and the EU itself will be different from the one we left in 2020.
However, there's not much mileage in proposing rejoining now because I'm not sure that the EU would welcome us while Farage is still a political force, and the domestic backlash may be substantial.
Let the people decide
Short-sighted political bias, to the detriment of the people in the UK. Everyone knows – even Brexiteers, who would never admit it – that the UK is simply poorer as a result of Brexit. This is why it really should not be a decision in the hands of a few politicians. Rather, a decision of such magnitude needs to go to a referendum. Let the people decide. Let's face it, the decision is too difficult for politicians to get right, and the cost is obvious to see.
Why is the debate off the table?
The right wing of the Conservative Party, and every iteration of Reform, confidently agitated for Brexit for decades, so what gives Labour the right to unilaterally declare that discussion is eternally off the table around the UK rejoining the EU, or easing the pain by setting up a customs union, when there is an increasing clamour amongst the general public who can see Brexit has not only delivered zilch, but made things worse?
Pie-in-the-sky
Labour will only get so far with its dynamic alignment, and rejoining is pie-in-the-sky.
It's time all the moaners about Brexit learned to respect the decision of the British electorate in 2016. I lived in an EU country for 11 years – 2009 to 2020 – and had a great time, but I voted to leave and believe it was the right decision for our country.
Cherry-picking is being rejected
The plans for a tactic of cherry-picking are well understood within the EU and are soundly being rejected by the EU Council and Parliament. EU members are not blind or stupid. They fully understand that the UK population simply does not have the desire for membership to the level required under The Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) ; the UK Parliament most certainly does not; and any membership talks are extremely likely to be cancelled, restarted, and cancelled again on a general election basis.
Time to move on
Well, I for one am glad that at least some of these buffoons realise that returning to rejoin the EU is not an option. We had a referendum and the people of the UK voted to get out of the basket of mafia state-controlled Europe. I say this as someone who voted to stay at the time and now realises that, if given the choice again, I would have voted to keep out.
I would like to think that, with the US getting itself into an economic catastrophe of endless wars and unstable energy markets, both the UK and France are at least considering trading more with China and other markets as an option rather than the exception.
A political firestorm
If negotiations to rejoin the EU were started, the right-wing media and Reform would launch a vicious campaign against the notion, especially as one condition the EU would insist upon is the introduction of the euro. Just think what a furore this would create when even removing Churchill's portrait from current banknotes has caused some people to have tantrums. Having said all this, it's blindingly obvious that the national interest would be served by rejoining the EU.
Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.
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