Two thirds of Londoners now say Britain should rejoin the European Union, according to a YouGov poll reported by the Evening Standard, a finding Mayor Lord Sadiq Khan is using to press the case against Brexit.

The survey put support for reversing Brexit at 67 per cent among adults in the capital, well clear of 44 per cent in the Midlands, 48 per cent across the rest of the South and 50 per cent in the North. Just 15 per cent of Londoners would vote to stay outside the EU, against around 30 per cent elsewhere. The London figure sits close to the capital’s 60/40 Remain result in 2016.

Anthony Wells of YouGov said Londoners were more likely than people in any other English region or Wales to back rejoining, though he noted the regional samples were smaller and needed caution. The overall poll covered more than 2,300 people. Khan has long championed closer EU ties and frames Brexit as economic damage to London and the wider UK.

Labour’s stance is shifting too. Andy Burnham has pushed the Government toward closer links with the bloc and put every option on the table, including the Customs Union, the Single Market or full membership. Dame Emily Thornberry, the Islington South and Finsbury MP who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, went further and argued Brexit should be ditched without a second referendum, sparking controversy.

Voters outside London remain far less keen. The gap underlines how the capital’s politics diverge from the country that chose sovereignty in 2016. Rejoin would hand rules, borders and trade levers back to Brussels and undo the clean break the public delivered. Reform UK and Nigel Farage have held the line for control at home; this poll does not rewrite that choice for the rest of Britain.

A London-heavy snapshot is being treated as a national green light. It is not. The figures show a city still at odds with large parts of England, not a settled case for surrendering the independence won at the ballot box.

Sadiq Khan Seizes on London Poll Pushing Britain Back into EU

Sadiq Khan has seized on renewed public support for European Union membership to strengthen his call for Britain to reconsider Brexit, bringing the question of rejoining Europe back into the centre of British politics. The Mayor of London has argued that leaving the EU has damaged the UK economically, socially and culturally, and believes the country should move towards restoring full membership.

The latest debate has been fuelled by polling suggesting that support for rejoining is particularly strong in London. A YouGov survey published in October reported that 67 per cent of Londoners would vote for Britain to rejoin the European Union. The same poll recorded lower support in other regions, highlighting the differences in opinion that continue to shape the national Brexit debate. Read the polling report.

For Khan, the figures provide fresh evidence that Britain’s relationship with Europe should not be treated as a settled question. But the findings also raise difficult questions about whether London’s views reflect those of the entire country, whether public support would survive a detailed debate about membership terms, and how a future government could pursue re-entry without reopening the divisions that followed the 2016 referendum.

Khan renews his call for Britain to rejoin

Khan has become one of the most prominent Labour figures advocating a return to the European Union. He has argued that Brexit has restricted economic opportunities, weakened Britain’s international position and made cooperation with neighbouring countries more complicated.

In March 2026, the mayor called on Labour to commit to rejoining the EU in its next general-election manifesto. He also supported restoring closer links with the single market and customs union as part of a broader plan to rebuild the UK’s relationship with Europe.

His argument is that Britain cannot fully benefit from its geographical proximity to the world’s largest trading blocs while maintaining unnecessary barriers to trade, investment and cooperation. London, as an international financial and commercial centre, has a particular interest in the movement of people, services and capital across borders.

Khan has also connected the Brexit debate to changes in the international political environment. He argues that growing global instability makes close relationships with European partners more important, particularly in areas such as security, economic resilience and diplomacy.

The mayor’s position goes further than simply asking the government to negotiate small improvements to the existing arrangements. He wants Labour to make the case for full membership and explain to voters why he believes the country would benefit from reversing its departure.

His intervention has become more significant as Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reopened discussion about Britain’s long-term relationship with the EU. Although the government has not committed to rejoining, Burnham has criticised the limitations of the current arrangements and called for a more ambitious relationship.

What the London poll actually tells us

The latest polling provides evidence of substantial support for rejoining among Londoners, but its findings need to be interpreted carefully.

The October YouGov survey reported that 67 per cent of London respondents would vote to rejoin the European Union. The reported figures were 44 per cent in the Midlands, 48 per cent in the rest of the South and 50 per cent in the North. These regional differences suggest that attitudes towards Brexit are not uniform across England and Wales.

London’s economic structure may help explain some of the difference. The capital has a large service sector, a significant international workforce and extensive business connections with Europe. Many residents and employers have direct experience of cross-border trade, travel, education and employment.

However, a poll conducted in one region cannot establish that the same level of support exists throughout the United Kingdom. Nor does a stated intention to vote for rejoining necessarily tell us how people would respond to a referendum campaign setting out the financial contributions, regulatory obligations and political compromises associated with membership.

The wording of polling questions also matters. Asking whether someone would vote to rejoin is different from asking whether they would support a particular negotiated agreement, including its terms on immigration, trade, regulation and the role of European institutions.

Nevertheless, the figures give Khan an opportunity to argue that support for Brexit has weakened in parts of the country and that political leaders should examine the available evidence rather than assume the public wants the current arrangements to continue indefinitely.

The economic argument over Brexit

The economic consequences of Brexit remain central to the debate.

Supporters of rejoining argue that leaving the EU introduced additional barriers for businesses trading with European markets. Companies exporting goods may face more paperwork, customs procedures and regulatory requirements than they did when the UK was a member. Smaller firms can find these administrative costs particularly difficult to absorb.

Businesses operating across borders also have to consider rules governing product standards, professional qualifications and the movement of workers. Greater divergence between British and European regulations can create additional expenses, especially for companies that sell products in both markets.

Khan argues that these barriers have affected investment and opportunities for growth. His position is that closer integration could reduce friction, improve access to markets and make Britain more attractive to international businesses.

There are, however, competing considerations. Brexit supporters argue that leaving the EU gave Britain greater freedom to design domestic regulations, negotiate trade agreements and determine immigration policy independently. They also contend that the UK should concentrate on improving productivity and competitiveness rather than assuming that EU membership would automatically resolve economic weaknesses.

The economic effects of rejoining would depend on the terms negotiated, the response of businesses and investors, and the wider international environment. Membership could reduce certain trade barriers, but it would not eliminate domestic problems such as housing shortages, weak productivity or pressure on public finances.

A meaningful assessment therefore requires more than a simple comparison between the pre-Brexit and post-Brexit economies. It must consider the counterfactual: how Britain might have performed under different policies and global conditions.

Burnham’s Brexit reset adds momentum

Khan’s intervention comes as Burnham has begun discussing a more substantial reset in Britain’s relationship with the EU.

The prime minister has argued that maintaining the status quo is not sufficient and has called for stronger cooperation on trade, environmental policy, immigration and youth exchanges. He has also highlighted concerns about foreign interference in European politics and the importance of closer security cooperation.

A UK-EU summit scheduled for November 20 is expected to provide an opportunity to discuss practical areas of cooperation, including food and drink trade and energy. Such agreements could reduce some of the friction created by Brexit without requiring Britain to rejoin the EU immediately.

Burnham has not ruled out full membership as a longer-term possibility, but Labour’s current position does not include returning to the single market or customs union. That leaves a considerable gap between the government’s immediate policy and Khan’s call for a manifesto commitment to rejoin.

The distinction matters. A reset could involve targeted agreements that preserve Britain’s formal position outside the EU, while rejoining would require a much more extensive political and legal process.

The two approaches may share an objective of improving relations with Europe, but they do not represent the same policy.

The political risks of reopening Brexit

Any move towards rejoining would carry political risks. The 2016 referendum produced a narrow majority for leaving the EU, and the result became a defining issue in British politics for years.

Supporters of Brexit argued that leaving would restore national sovereignty, strengthen democratic accountability and allow Britain to control its own laws and borders. Many remain committed to those principles and would view a campaign for rejoining as an attempt to reverse a democratic decision.

For them, the passage of time and changes in public opinion do not automatically justify returning to membership. They may argue that governments should focus on making the current settlement work rather than starting another divisive national debate.

Khan and other supporters of rejoining counter that democratic decisions can be reconsidered when circumstances change. They argue that voters should be able to evaluate the evidence about Brexit’s consequences and decide whether a different arrangement would better serve the country.

A future government seeking re-entry would also need to explain what membership would involve. The EU has its own rules for accession, and Britain could not simply assume that it would recover every arrangement it enjoyed before leaving. Negotiations would determine the terms, and existing member states would have a role in approving an application.

The political challenge would therefore be to build support for a clearly defined proposal rather than relying solely on dissatisfaction with Brexit.

Immigration and freedom of movement remain difficult questions

One of the most consequential issues would be freedom of movement.

EU membership would involve accepting the bloc’s framework for the movement of citizens, subject to the relevant rules and any negotiated arrangements. This would have implications for employment, education, travel and immigration policy.

For supporters, the ability to live, study and work across Europe is one of the principal benefits of membership. Businesses may also welcome easier access to workers and the removal of some administrative barriers.

Critics, however, argue that leaving the EU gave Britain greater control over immigration and that returning to membership would constrain the government’s ability to set its own rules. They may also raise concerns about pressure on housing, public services and wages, although the effects of migration vary considerably across sectors and local areas.

These questions cannot be resolved simply by citing a poll that asks whether people would vote to rejoin. A credible campaign would have to explain the likely arrangements and allow voters to assess the trade-offs.

Khan’s challenge is therefore not just to demonstrate support for the general idea of membership, but to make the case for the specific obligations and benefits that would accompany it.

Would London’s opinion change national policy?

London’s influence in British politics is substantial, but the capital’s preferences do not automatically determine the direction of national policy.

The latest figures may encourage pro-European campaigners to intensify their calls for a referendum or a manifesto commitment. They could also increase pressure on Labour politicians who favour closer relations with Europe but remain cautious about reopening the membership question.

Yet the regional differences shown in polling underline the need for a national argument. A proposal that attracts strong support in London would still need to address concerns among voters elsewhere, including communities where Brexit was viewed as an opportunity to restore local control and economic independence.

The government would also need to consider the position of the EU itself. European leaders may welcome closer cooperation, but any application to rejoin would require negotiations and agreement on the terms of membership. Britain would not be able to dictate the outcome unilaterally.

For now, the immediate possibilities are more limited. Agreements on trade, energy, research, security and youth exchanges could be pursued individually. Whether these measures eventually lead to a renewed membership campaign remains a political question.

What happens next?

Khan’s response to the London polling has helped bring the rejoining debate back into the spotlight at a time when the government is reconsidering its relationship with Europe.

The figures offer evidence that many Londoners would support a return to the EU, while the regional comparisons demonstrate that opinion remains more varied across the country. The economic case for closer integration is central to Khan’s argument, but the political and practical obstacles remain substantial.

The coming UK-EU discussions may provide an indication of how far the government is prepared to move beyond its existing arrangements. Progress on trade and cooperation would not necessarily lead to rejoining, but it could influence how politicians and voters assess the available options.

Ultimately, the question facing Britain is not simply whether Brexit has disappointed some voters. It is whether a clearly defined alternative would deliver sufficient benefits to justify the legal, economic and political changes involved.

Khan wants Labour to make that case openly. His intervention ensures that the debate over Britain’s place in Europe will remain part of the national political conversation, but the London poll alone cannot settle the question of whether the United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union.