The European Greens has welcomed what they call the “new momentum” for Britain to rejoin the EU.
This comes amid media reports that UK PM Andy Burnham has said it is “possible” a future Labour election manifesto could promise a new in-out referendum on the European Union.
The prime minister told the BBC a referendum “wouldn’t be the right thing to do right now” but the UK needed to “consider the options” for its relationship with the EU as “where we are isn’t good enough”.
The BBC further said this comes after he pledged in his Labour conference speech on Tuesday to explore closer ties with the 27-strong Union at a summit later this year.
According to a new YouGov poll public support is slowly rising for Britain having a closer relationship with the European Union.
A spokesman said, “While previously the most supported option among Remain voters, and 2024 Labour, Lib Dem or Green voters, our latest tracker data shows they are now roughly as likely to support having a closer relationship with the EU without rejoining.
“Among those who voted to leave the European Union in 2016, 27% now support rejoining, relative to just 10% of those who voted to Remain now opposing a return to full membership.”
The apparent fresh appetite for a possible return to the EU, or at least closer ties, has been greeted by Ciarán Cuffe, Co-Chair of European Greens.
He said: “Britain’s place is in the European Union.”
He added, “Our shared prosperity and security rely on it. If we are serious about peace, security, and autonomy, the EU needs to enlarge to the East and the West.”
“The leaders of all European Green parties stated in May that, if the British people choose to return to the EU in the future, the Green parties in Europe are ready to welcome them back.
“Now this possibility is finally being discussed openly at the highest level of British politics, and has been received positively by Prime Minister Sanchez and President Macron.
“We now hope that all the European political families and governments that support the UK’s eventual return to the European Union will make their position equally clear.”
“Britain rejoining would also help us move further along the road to Irish unity, as there would be no need for the “Irish Sea Border”, thus eliminating the need for any customs checks between the UK and Ireland and ensuring all parts of Ireland and the UK would be subject to the same EU regulatory controls on trade,” Ciarán Cuffe concluded.
The European Greens say they were the first European political family to explicitly invite the UK to rejoin the European Union, making that call in a formal declaration in May 2026.q
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