A petition urging the UK to begin negotiations to rejoin the European Union has passed a major milestone, collecting more than 11,000 signatures online. The petition, set up by Robert McMaster in June, has now reached the threshold that requires the Government to issue a response.
Petition's Core Arguments
The petition states: "10 years after the Brexit referendum and 6 years after leaving the EU, it is clear to us that Brexit isn't working. We believe any benefits have been dwarfed by loss of influence, extra costs and the inefficiencies it has created."
It continues: "We think it is time for the Government to Apply to Rejoin the European Union. While we might not get the same deal as before we nonetheless believe that it would reduce the damage caused by Brexit and help restore our influence by becoming a full member of the EU again."
Political Context and Statements
Andy Burnham, speaking in Berlin this week, said: "The time has come to think more seriously about growth, and obviously we know growth can come from that closer relationship. We have a UK-EU summit in front of us before the end of the year and I think it is important that we can show that growth comes from co-operation, as I believe it can do, as well as facing joint challenges together."
He added: "It feels to me that the world as it is, is bringing us closer together. It’s making us more closely aligned. We already are very close partners, but UK and Germany becomes a more important axis as we go into the next next period."
Petition's Future and History
The petition will remain open until December 24. Mr McMaster, a member of Berkshire for Europe, a local chapter of European Movement UK, has previously seen another petition pass 110,000 signatures.
That earlier petition stated: "10 years after the Brexit vote and 6 years since the UK left the EU, it has become clear that Brexit has failed and that the UK public no longer supports leaving the EU, with a clear majority wishing to return."
When it reached 100,000 signatures, the organiser warned that he will not give up. "This is the third petition to Apply to Rejoin the EU to the current Government, and the second to reach 100,000 signatures," he wrote. "The first led to a three-hour debate in Parliament in March last year where 42 MPs spoke for an average of four minutes each, 38 of whom criticised the Government's stance, with only four supporting Brexit - the official Government spokesperson, a Conservative Minister and two Northern Ireland MPs."
He added: "We hope this petition will lead to a second debate where another 40 MPs can tell the Government what they and their constituents think, and encourage signatories of the petition to write to MPs with their own stories and to ask them to attend. And that it will be followed by further petitions every six months with increasing numbers of signatures until the Government changes stance and applies to rejoin."
