Protests demanding the UK’s reintegration into the EU are steadily gaining momentum within the country, with many asserting that Brexit has proven unsuccessful. Last Saturday, approximately 20,000 individuals marched through London, urging political leaders to embark on yet another intricate and highly contentious negotiation process with Brussels.
According to YouGov, a British polling company, approximately 62% of Britons consider Brexit a failure.
The UK’s economy has suffered as a result of Brexit, particularly evident in a 25% increase in prices from January 2021 to March of this year. This surge in costs, amounting to £6.95 billion (€8 billion), is primarily attributed to the additional trade barriers that resulted from departing the Single Market.
The report from the London School of Economics highlights that the brunt of the impact has been borne by the most economically disadvantaged members of society, who allocate a significant portion of their income to food expenses. Moreover, experts at the Centre for European Reform calculate that business investments were 23% lower in 2020/21 than they would have been if not for Brexit.
Pro-EU advocate Femi Oluwole asserts that the allure once associated with Brexit has faded away.
“We have Nigel Farage saying that Brexit has failed and it hasn’t helped us economically at all. So the Brexiteers effectively have much abandoned, at least this version of Brexit. They keep coming out with things like ‘Oh, we do Brexit differently’. But the public has kind of moved on from the idea that you can make Brexit work,” said Oluwole in a statement.
He further mentioned that the ‘sovereignty’ argument is no longer dominant in the discourse, and the tangible costs of Brexit are now becoming evident.
The discussions we had six or seven years ago about sovereignty and the idea of Britain standing alone have collided with the reality that there are more pressing concerns in life. Can families adequately provide for their children at this moment?
“Half of low-income families in the UK are skipping meals to feed their kids. We cannot afford Brexit if we can’t afford food, we can’t afford Brexit.” Oluwole added.
If the UK were to consider rejoining the EU, it would find a significantly transformed European Union compared to when it departed. Major shifts toward a closer and more interdependent union have occurred due to various crises.
It’s challenging to predict the role the UK would have played in these changes had it remained a member. The EU has witnessed increased cooperation in areas such as economic recovery, security, defense, and enlargement discussions. Notably, the EU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic involved borrowing money on behalf of member states and providing grants and loans, a move that would have contradicted the UK’s past opposition to the idea of an “ever-closer Europe.”
Georg Riekeles, an expert in EU affairs, highlights that the EU’s ongoing changes would necessitate a fresh discussion if the UK were to rejoin. The current Conservative government has adopted a more pragmatic approach to EU relations, evidenced by its participation in the Horizon science and research program and agreements like the Windsor Framework for Northern Ireland.
Despite the Labour Party’s lead in the polls, its leader, Keir Starmer, who was once a strong supporter of the EU, has ruled out a return to the EU. Overall, the prospect of the UK rejoining the EU would involve a different discussion, considering the EU’s evolving landscape and the UK’s changing political dynamics.
(Source: Shona Murray | Euronews)
