Andy Burnham wants the UK to have a closer relationship with the EU (Image: Getty)
A major petition urging the UK to start negotiations to rejoin the European Union has passed a major milestone. The online document set up by Robert McMaster in June has now garnered more than 11,000 signatures. This means the Government will issue a response. 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.
“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.
“The UK is a large country but is still small in world terms. We feel that improving cooperation with our neighbours will help increase economic stability and strengthen international influence, since relying on distant partners alone is not sufficient.
“We firmly believe that our future is best secured as part of a strong, united and democratic Europe.” The Prime Minister has not ruled out the UK’s future re-entry into the EU.
Get the latest politics news – straight from our team in Westminster and more
Invalid email
You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info.
Mr Burnham said in Berlin this week: “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.”
Brits voted to leave the EU in 2016 (Image: Getty)
The petition will stay open until December 24. Mr McMaster is a member of Berkshire for Europe, a local chapter of European Movement UK. Another petition of his passed 110,000 signatures.
It 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. Recent Government statements make it clear that it wishes the UK to have closer relations with the EU, but nothing comes close to being as beneficial for the UK as rejoining the EU as a full member where we will be able to take a full part and have a full say in its deliberations (even if the terms are not the same as last time, and we urgently need pro-EU groups to lead a proper debate on what that might mean).”
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. (No Reform MPs bothered to attend.)
“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 (the lifetime of petitions on the Parliament website) with increasing numbers of signatures until the Government changes stance and applies to rejoin.”
Major Petition for Britain to Rejoin the EU Passes Massive Milestone
A major campaign calling for Britain to rejoin the European Union has reached a significant milestone, intensifying the debate over Brexit and the country’s future relationship with Europe. With more than 111,000 signatures collected, a petition demanding that the UK apply to rejoin the EU has secured a parliamentary debate and brought the question of European membership back into the political spotlight.
The development comes at a time when Britain’s economic future, international influence and trading relationships remain central concerns for voters. For supporters of rejoining, the growing petition demonstrates that dissatisfaction with Brexit has not disappeared. Instead, they argue, more people are questioning whether leaving the European Union delivered the benefits promised during the referendum campaign.
However, the milestone does not mean that Britain is about to rejoin the EU. The government has maintained that it does not intend to pursue membership, preferring to improve cooperation with European partners. The petition nevertheless represents a significant moment for campaigners who want a more fundamental change in the country’s direction.
The political challenge is now to determine whether growing public interest can translate into a realistic programme for changing Britain’s relationship with Europe.
More Than 111,000 Signatures Put Brexit Back on the Agenda
The petition, titled Apply to Rejoin the EU as soon as possible to increase growth in the UK, attracted 111,687 signatures before closing in June 2026. That total exceeded the 100,000-signature threshold that normally prompts consideration for a debate in Parliament.
The petition argues that Brexit has damaged Britain’s economic prospects by increasing barriers to trade and weakening opportunities for businesses and workers. Its supporters believe that seeking EU membership again could help reverse some of those problems, improve economic growth and restore Britain’s influence in European decision-making.
The petition was debated by MPs on 12 October 2026, bringing representatives from different political perspectives together to discuss whether the UK should begin the process of seeking membership again.
For campaigners, the debate is important because it provides an opportunity to challenge the assumption that Brexit is a settled issue. They want Parliament to consider the economic consequences of leaving the EU and examine whether a future government should explore a return to membership.
Yet a parliamentary petition debate is not the same as a vote to rejoin. MPs can discuss the proposal and question the government, but the debate does not itself change the law or oblige ministers to begin accession negotiations.
The distinction is important because the petition’s milestone is a political achievement for its supporters, not a formal decision to reverse Brexit.
Why Supporters Believe Brexit Has Failed
The economic consequences of Brexit remain one of the most contentious issues in British politics. Supporters of leaving the EU argued that the country would regain control over its laws, borders and trade policy, while gaining the freedom to negotiate agreements around the world.
Critics counter that these benefits have been accompanied by additional barriers to trade with Britain’s largest nearby market. Businesses trading across the Channel face new administrative requirements, customs procedures and regulatory complications that did not apply in the same way when the UK was a member of the single market and customs union.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated that the post-Brexit trading relationship will reduce Britain’s long-term productivity by around 4% compared with remaining in the EU. The estimate has become an important part of the argument made by those who want closer European integration.
However, the full economic picture is complex. Britain’s growth performance is influenced by numerous factors, including domestic investment, productivity, labour supply, taxation, global economic conditions and government policy. Not every economic difficulty can be attributed to Brexit alone.
Supporters of rejoining argue that removing trade barriers would nevertheless offer an opportunity to improve commercial relationships, encourage investment and give British companies easier access to European markets.
For small and medium-sized businesses, reducing administrative burdens could be particularly valuable. Companies with limited resources may find it harder to absorb additional paperwork and compliance costs than larger corporations with dedicated international trade departments.
The question is whether the potential benefits of membership would outweigh its financial and political costs, and whether a future agreement could secure enough public support to make rejoining achievable.
The Government Faces a Difficult Political Choice
The petition puts pressure on the government to explain how far it is prepared to go in rebuilding relations with the European Union.
Labour has pursued closer cooperation with European partners while maintaining that it will not reverse Brexit or seek to rejoin the single market and customs union under its current policy. Ministers have argued that a more constructive relationship can support economic growth without reopening every question settled by the referendum.
That approach may appeal to voters who want better relations with Europe but do not want another prolonged constitutional confrontation. It also allows the government to pursue practical agreements in areas such as trade, security, research and other forms of cooperation.
Yet campaigners for rejoining believe this strategy may not go far enough. They argue that limited agreements cannot fully reproduce the advantages of EU membership because Britain remains outside the institutions that shape common European rules.
The government must therefore navigate competing pressures. Some voters want a clear commitment to closer integration, while others believe the country should concentrate on making Brexit work rather than revisiting the decision.
A major petition cannot resolve that disagreement, but it makes it more difficult for politicians to ignore the question entirely.
Could Britain Rejoin Under Different Conditions?
Even if a future government decided to seek EU membership, the process would be complicated and would not necessarily restore Britain’s former arrangements.
The UK would need to apply for membership and negotiate with existing member states. The terms would depend on the negotiations, the political circumstances and the requirements of EU membership at that time.
Britain previously secured special arrangements, including certain opt-outs and budgetary provisions. There is no guarantee that those arrangements would be available again.
Questions surrounding free movement, financial contributions, the single market and the relationship between domestic law and EU rules would all require serious consideration.
These issues could divide the electorate even among people who believe Brexit has harmed the economy. A voter might favour closer trade relations but oppose a return to free movement, while another might support membership only if Britain secured particular financial or regulatory arrangements.
That means campaigners cannot rely on dissatisfaction with Brexit alone. To build a durable case for rejoining, they would need to explain the likely terms, the costs and the expected benefits in a way that voters could assess.
A future referendum, if one were proposed, would therefore involve much more than a simple judgement on whether Brexit had been successful.
Andy Burnham and the Debate Over Britain’s Future
The debate over European membership has also become relevant to wider discussions about Labour’s future direction and the ambitions of figures such as Andy Burnham.
Burnham has advocated a closer relationship with Europe, reflecting concerns that Britain should cooperate more closely with its neighbours on economic and strategic issues. Supporters of a more European approach argue that improved cooperation could help British businesses, strengthen security and provide opportunities for younger generations.
However, closer relations and full membership are not identical propositions. Politicians can support stronger cooperation with the EU without committing themselves to reversing Brexit.
That distinction could become increasingly important as Labour considers its long-term political strategy. A more ambitious European policy might appeal to voters who regret Brexit, but it could also reopen divisions among people who supported leaving or who remain concerned about the terms of membership.
For Burnham and other Labour figures, the challenge is to explain how European cooperation would improve everyday life rather than allowing the debate to become purely symbolic.
Campaigners will hope that the petition’s success encourages politicians to discuss membership more openly. Opponents will argue that the country has more urgent domestic priorities and that another debate over Brexit risks diverting attention from public services, housing and economic growth.
A Milestone, Not a Guarantee of Rejoining
The petition’s success demonstrates that the debate over Brexit remains alive a decade after the 2016 referendum. More than 111,000 signatures were sufficient to secure parliamentary consideration, giving supporters an opportunity to make their case directly to MPs.
But a petition cannot compel the government to reverse its policy, and the parliamentary debate does not automatically lead to a referendum or membership negotiations.
The government’s stated position remains that Britain will not rejoin the EU under its current approach. Any future change would require a significant political decision, a detailed assessment of the economic and legal implications, and negotiations with European institutions and member states.
For supporters, the immediate achievement is that rejoining has returned to Parliament as a subject for serious discussion. For opponents, the petition is not evidence that the country has reached a settled consensus in favour of reversing Brexit.
The next stage of the debate will depend on whether campaigners can turn their argument into a credible political programme and whether parties believe the public is ready to support such a change.
Britain’s relationship with Europe is unlikely to be resolved by one petition or one parliamentary debate. Nevertheless, the milestone sends a clear message: for a substantial number of people, the question of EU membership remains open.
Whether that sentiment eventually leads to a formal campaign for rejoining will depend on the government’s economic record, public opinion and the political choices made in the years ahead.