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.

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.”

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 petition calling for Britain to rejoin the European Union has passed a significant milestone, reigniting one of the country’s most divisive political debates nearly a decade after the Brexit referendum. With more than 111,000 signatures, the campaign has attracted enough public support to secure a debate in Parliament, putting renewed pressure on politicians to address growing calls for closer ties with Europe.

The petition, titled “Apply to Rejoin the EU as soon as possible to increase growth in the UK,” closed on June 8, 2026, with 111,687 signatures. MPs subsequently debated the issue on October 12, giving supporters an opportunity to argue that leaving the EU has damaged Britain’s economic prospects and that full membership should be reconsidered. <Cite refs={[“turn940826search5″,”turn940826search7”]}/>

Although the milestone does not mean Britain is about to return to the European Union, it demonstrates that the question of Brexit remains politically significant. As the cost of living, trade, economic growth and Britain’s international influence continue to dominate public discussion, pressure is building for a fresh examination of the country’s relationship with its European neighbours.

A petition that has brought Brexit back into the spotlight

The petition’s central argument is that Brexit has failed to deliver the economic benefits promised by its supporters. Its organisers argue that Britain should apply to rejoin the EU to encourage economic growth, strengthen trade and restore opportunities that became more difficult after the country left the bloc.

The petition passed the 100,000-signature threshold required for consideration for a parliamentary debate. That threshold does not oblige the Government to adopt the proposal, but it gives the issue an opportunity to receive attention in Westminster. The petition eventually closed with more than 111,000 signatures. <Cite refs={[“turn940826search7″,”turn940826search8”]}/>

The number is significant because it demonstrates organised public interest in a subject that many politicians have spent years trying to move beyond. Brexit shaped the 2016 referendum, the 2019 general election and several years of negotiations over Britain’s departure and future trading arrangements.

For supporters of rejoining, the petition represents a demand to reconsider decisions made during a period of intense political division. They argue that the country should assess Brexit according to its long-term consequences rather than treating the referendum result as a question that can never be revisited.

However, the signatures should not be interpreted as proof that a majority of the British public wants to rejoin. Petition supporters are self-selecting, and public opinion must be assessed through broader polling and other evidence.

Why supporters want Britain back in the EU

Economic growth is at the heart of the campaign.

Supporters say that leaving the EU introduced additional barriers for businesses trading with Britain’s largest nearby market. Companies exporting goods can face more paperwork, customs procedures and regulatory requirements than they did when the UK was a member.

For smaller businesses, these additional processes can create costs that are harder to absorb than they are for large corporations. Some firms have changed their supply chains, reduced their European operations or reconsidered whether particular export markets remain commercially worthwhile.

The petition refers to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s assessment that Brexit is expected to leave UK productivity around 4% lower in the long run than it would have been if Britain had remained in the EU. This is a forecast comparing two economic scenarios, rather than a claim that the country’s entire economy has simply shrunk by 4%. <Cite refs={[“turn940826search9″,”turn940826search5”]}/>

Campaigners argue that closer integration could help reverse some of the economic disadvantages associated with leaving. They point to the potential benefits of easier trade, improved access to European markets, greater cooperation on research and more opportunities for workers and students.

They also believe that membership could strengthen Britain’s ability to influence European rules that affect its businesses, security and economic interests.

Nevertheless, rejoining would not automatically resolve every problem facing the British economy. Productivity, housing, public services, investment and skills shortages have multiple causes. The benefits of membership would depend on the terms negotiated and the wider policies adopted by the Government.

The political debate is changing

The petition has gained attention at a time when senior British politicians are once again discussing the future relationship with Europe.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for a reassessment of Britain’s post-Brexit arrangements, arguing that the existing relationship does not adequately serve the country’s economic and social interests. His immediate emphasis has been on negotiating closer cooperation, including potential agreements on food standards, energy and youth mobility, rather than announcing an immediate return to full EU membership. <Cite refs={[“turn940826news20″,”turn940826news21”]}/>

The distinction is important. Improving the relationship with the EU is not the same as rejoining the bloc.

A closer partnership could involve reducing trade friction in selected sectors, aligning certain regulations or expanding cooperation in areas where both sides see mutual benefits. Full membership would require a much wider negotiation covering the rights and responsibilities that come with joining the Union.

Even so, the renewed debate suggests that the political boundaries around Brexit are shifting. For years, many politicians treated a new discussion about membership as too divisive or too risky. Economic pressures and changing public attitudes have encouraged some to reconsider whether that position remains sustainable.

Supporters of rejoining hope that the petition will help transform public concern into a more direct political debate. Opponents argue that reopening the question would distract from immediate domestic challenges and risk reviving divisions that have already consumed considerable political energy.

Public opinion remains central

The petition is part of a wider discussion about whether British attitudes towards Brexit have changed.

Recent polling reported in October 2026 suggests that support for rejoining the EU may be stronger than opposition, although the precise balance varies according to how questions are phrased and what respondents are told about the possible terms of membership. <Cite refs={[“turn940826news17″,”turn940826news19”]}/>

Such findings are important, but they do not automatically translate into a clear electoral mandate. Voters may support closer ties with Europe while remaining uncertain about full membership, the cost of rejoining or the conditions that Brussels might demand.

There is also a difference between expressing a preference in a survey and making a decision in a referendum campaign. The experience of 2016 showed how questions of sovereignty, immigration, economic security and national identity can interact in unpredictable ways.

Any serious campaign to rejoin would therefore need to explain what membership would mean in practical terms. Voters would want to know how trade might change, whether freedom of movement would return, what financial contributions Britain would make and what influence the UK could exercise over European decisions.

Without clear answers, even strong support for a closer relationship may not translate into support for full membership.

What has the Government said?

The petition’s success does not mean the Government has agreed to reverse Brexit.

The Government’s published response to the petition stated that the UK would not be rejoining the EU and instead pointed to its strategy of resetting the relationship through a new partnership intended to support trade, jobs and growth. <Cite refs={[“turn940826search7″,”turn940826search6”]}/>

That position highlights the gap between the campaigners’ demands and current government policy.

Ministers can pursue closer cooperation without committing to membership. Such an approach may be politically easier because it allows the Government to seek specific economic benefits while avoiding the much larger constitutional and political debate associated with rejoining.

However, campaigners argue that a limited reset cannot deliver all the advantages of membership. They believe that remaining outside the EU means Britain will continue to face barriers and will have less influence over decisions affecting the European market.

The Government must therefore balance the potential economic benefits of closer cooperation against the political risks of reopening a deeply contested issue.

The obstacles to rejoining would be substantial

Even if a future British government decided to apply for EU membership, the process would not be automatic.

The UK would need to negotiate with the EU and secure unanimous approval from member states under the accession process. The terms would have to address areas including financial contributions, regulatory obligations, market access and the country’s participation in EU institutions.

Britain previously negotiated special arrangements during its membership, including a budget rebate and certain opt-outs. It cannot simply assume that every former concession would be restored under a new agreement.

European governments would also need confidence that a returning UK would remain committed to membership over the long term. A future British government reversing course again could create uncertainty for businesses and EU institutions.

Some European politicians have suggested that the UK’s existing regulatory alignment could make closer integration easier than it would be for a completely new applicant. Others have warned that the negotiations would still be complex, particularly given Britain’s economic size and the political sensitivities surrounding its former membership. <Cite refs={[“turn940826news19″,”turn940826news22”]}/>

These obstacles do not make rejoining impossible, but they underline why a petition alone cannot determine the outcome.

What happens next?

The parliamentary debate gives MPs an opportunity to examine the arguments for rejoining, but it does not require the Government to begin accession negotiations. The petition has now closed, and its principal achievement is to ensure that the issue received formal parliamentary consideration.

For campaigners, the next challenge is to persuade political parties that rejoining deserves a place in their long-term plans. That could involve building support among voters, presenting detailed economic arguments and demonstrating how a future membership agreement might work.

For opponents, the task is to explain why the current relationship offers a better path and why the country should avoid reopening the membership question.

The debate is likely to become more intense if economic difficulties persist or if closer cooperation with Europe produces visible benefits that encourage demands for further integration.

Ultimately, Britain’s future relationship with the EU will depend on political decisions, public consent and negotiations with European governments. The petition’s 111,687 signatures are a notable milestone, but they are not a mandate to reverse Brexit.

What they do show is that the question has not disappeared. Years after Britain formally left the European Union, a significant group of citizens continues to demand that politicians reconsider the decision and examine whether full membership could offer a better future.

The milestone may not bring Britain back into the EU tomorrow, but it has ensured that the argument over Brexit’s legacy remains firmly on the political agenda.