Nearly three in five Britons would vote to reverse Brexit, according to a new poll, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer pushes for closer ties with the European Union. The survey, conducted by Deltapoll for the Mirror, found that 59% of respondents would support rejoining the EU in a new Brexit referendum.
Starmer's Push for EU Cooperation
The findings come as Starmer emphasises the need for Europe to address tensions with the Trump administration. He has initiated talks to join the EU's £78 billion (€90 billion) loan scheme for Ukraine, a move that would allow British firms to bid for major defence contracts.
Speaking at the European Political Summit, Starmer said: 'We cannot deny that some of the alliances that we have come to rely on are not in the place we would want them to be. There is more tension in the alliances than there should be, and it's very important that we therefore face up to this as a group of countries together.'
Defence and Security Commitments
Starmer stressed that European nations must increase their defence and security contributions. 'We work very closely with the US on all issues to do with defence and security and intelligence... But clearly we also have to make sure that the European countries do more on defence and security. That's actually an argument that President Trump makes, but I feel very strongly that the European countries now need to step up and do more on defence and security.'
He added: 'When you're facing a war on two fronts, Ukraine and Iran, that's having such a profound impact on our own country, on households across the whole of the United Kingdom, it's really important we move at pace on that.'
Potential Costs and Benefits
If the UK joins the EU loan scheme, it would collaborate with the bloc to provide vital equipment to Kyiv. Starmer argued that the benefits would 'outweigh the cost' for Britain, stating: 'It's in our national interest to be closer to Europe... whether that's the EU loan scheme, which we are discussing with them, that's of great benefit to Ukraine, but it's also a great benefit to the United Kingdom as well, in terms of the jobs that it will create in the United Kingdom. So the benefit there outweighs the cost.'
However, the EU is reportedly expected to ask Britain to contribute £1 billion annually for further single market access, according to the Times.
Polling Details
Deltapoll interviewed 3,353 British adults online between 26 April and 1 May 2026, including 1,012 respondents in Wales and 1,041 in Scotland. The data have been weighted to be representative of the British adult population.
