The argument that the European Union would not welcome Britain back if it sought to rejoin is a weak one, according to Sandro Gozi, chair of the EU delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly. In an interview with The Independent, Gozi said the EU would see a British application as a “major victory for the European project”. He added that the departure of the UK was a setback for the dream of a more united Europe, and that believers in that vision would welcome the return of a wayward partner.
Gozi insisted that an application would be fast-tracked, because of the institutional memory from when the UK was a member and the existing level of alignment between the UK and EU. While difficult negotiations over terms would follow, he noted that the EU side would start from the position that Britain could not keep its pre-2016 rebate, but that compromises have always been reached. On the euro, Gozi would like the UK to adopt it, but acknowledged that this is unlikely to be required as long as other EU members keep their own currencies.
The real issue is whether the British people want to rejoin. Polls show a majority now say leaving was a mistake, but findings are sensitive to question wording. Sir Keir Starmer took a cautious approach at the last election, committing to staying out of the single market and customs union. The Independent argues that the referendum decision could only be overturned if there were an overwhelming and sustained majority for doing so, which does not yet exist.
Next month marks ten years since the referendum. Labour figures Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting have said they want to rejoin, though Burnham is not advocating it in the current by-election. The Independent intends to lead the debate on removing barriers to trade and working towards renewed EU membership as a long-term aim, and thanks Gozi for dispelling the myth of EU hostility.
