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    A Brexit rethink could be emerging. But Europe fears Farage will destroy it
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    A Brexit rethink could be emerging. But Europe fears Farage will destroy it

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    24 Comments

    1. coffeewalnut08 on

      ‘A Brexit rethink could be emerging. But Europe fears Farage will destroy it

      While the UK is unlikely to rejoin the European Union for the foreseeable future, a customs union could mean a removal of tariffs and other trade barriers on goods and services.

      Senior politicians, insiders and diplomats in the EU suggested the ball was now in Britain’s court to come up with a plan. Andreas Schieder, an Austrian MEP involved in earlier post-Brexit legislation, told The i Paper that while many in the EU would be enthusiastic about closer ties, “it’s up to the UK to decide what it wants in its relationship with the EU”.

      David Henig (director of the UK Trade Policy Project) warned that creating a customs union would be complex, criticising much of the debate as “simplistic”, driven by politicians who overestimate the UK’s leverage.

      Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly said that rejoining the customs union or the single market would breach Labour’s 2024 manifesto commitments. Downing Street reaffirmed those red lines within hours of Dombrovskis’s comments. Without a formal change in UK policy, Brussels has nothing to respond to.

      Yet the noise inside Labour has undeniably grown. Senior figures, including Cabinet ministers and influential backbenchers, have openly floated the idea in recent weeks. Polling suggests strong support among Labour voters. And EU figures, including several MEPs, have said they would welcome a closer UK-EU relationship if Britain wanted one. “Given the circumstances to me, it’s clear that we need to have as strong and profound a relationship as possible,” said Schieder, the MEP.

      There is also a broader political reality shaping EU thinking: uncertainty about Britain’s future direction. The prospect of a Reform-led government under Nigel Farage, openly hostile to the EU and prone to unilateralism, looms large in Brussels. “Any prospect of Farage having his hands on any kind of power or government would make us think twice – and should make every Brit think twice,” warns Austrian MEP Schieder.

      That risk makes EU capitals wary of offering concessions or embarking on ambitious new frameworks that could be torn up after the next election.’

    2. Infinite_Society7792 on

      If they held a vote this week I reckon we would vote to rejoin, regardless if the deal wasn’t as favourable as our previous terms.

    3. coffeewalnut08 on

      It’s so funny when the electorate thinks our prosperity doesn’t depend on good, close relations with our neighbours.

      Farage can afford to pick a fight with the EU, because he and his party are run by the richest of the rich. Meanwhile the rest of us will get poorer and angrier.

      Also, we don’t hold all the cards in negotiations with the EU. Why would we? We’re a small island that imports half of its food. The EU is nearly the size of the US, and in many respects functions similarly to the US (free trade etc.).

      Archived version: https://archive.ph/2026.02.08-131112/https://inews.co.uk/news/world/brexit-rethink-emerging-europe-labour-politics-4210822

    4. Carl-Newchat25 on

      The best we are likely to manage is cautious improvements in our relations with Europe, rather than rejoining the EU.

      I had been a strong Remainer, but accept the pragmatism of good relations with the EU but from outside.

    5. lordkappy on

      Brexit seems like it was an act of treason in collusion with an enemy state. It’s pretty clear the Reform/Farage are doing the bidding of Putin. Why’s it not being regarded as such?

    6. According-Secret9516 on

      Farage will destroy the UK.

      Leaving Europe was merely stage 1 in his plan.

      At least his far right mates in the EU weren’t as dumb as him.

    7. Fluffy-Republic8610 on

      It may blunt farage’s thrust if rejoining is back on the agenda by the election. So I think when starmer goes the new leader will want to say they are all about getting close to the EU. Then, by election time, labour can create a lot of differentiation with the torys and reform by pledging to rejoin if reelected.

      So they can blame brexit and starmer for their shit govt and give people something real to hope for, rejoining the EU, rather than more “let’s make the best of it”.

      It might be irresistible to those fighting for the leadership later this year.

    8. Cynical_Classicist on

      Because even after listening to him fucked up the country, the media presents him as the man who will sort it all out.

    11. inverseinternet on

      Hell no, we fought for this freedom and control of our own borders. Europe can beg is as much as it wants. We had the last laugh.

    13. Blazured on

      I always wonder how the Right-wingers who talk about incompatible cultures with the UK feel about us voting to leave the EU because we wanted less EU immigration here.

      Just a decade ago they hated the EU, but since they got what they wanted it appears some of them regret it. I just wonder what percentage of them regret it.

    14. Charming_Tap_9721 on

      Even if we did rejoin the EU we would be definitely at the back of the queue as one president once said

    16. BroodLord1962 on

      Yeah why would the EU welcome us back when all the polls are showing Farage in power after the next election

    17. gibberishnope on

      49% voted to remain, if there’s any increase on that number than the vote would be in favour surely

    18. Educational_Ad288 on

      As someone that voted to leave, I would now vote to rejoin.
      I still think that Brexit could have worked, what i failed to factor in though is how absolutely inept our various prime ministers since the referendum (Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss & Sunak) would be, in an ideal world my preference would be for us to be a member of the single market but without all the EU bureaucracy, unfortunately that isn’t the reality and will most likely never be an option, so if its a choice of staying out of the EU with the current issues we now face as a country, or rejoining the EU, I have to say I think it would be wise for us to rejoin, even though its not my favourite choice, its the most sensible choice.

    19. Jedibeeftrix on

      good.

      this is the cheat-code for successful legislative programmes in a system where no parliament can bind another:

      make sure that your legislative goals are so reasonable, that a succeeding gov’t can’t be bothered with the cost in political-capital to repeal it.

    20. Dangerous_Towel_2569 on

      i fucking hope that the next election doesnt become another battleground for Brexit 2.0. With Farage rearing his ugly head again, to stop us re-entering the single market, in a period of time where we need European solidarity, just so he can take more handouts from Russia.

    21. FlowerGathering on

      Enough £ in his pocket and farage will endorse anything they EU just needs to not be stingy

    23. jodrellbank_pants on

      You’re all forgetting one thing Hungary …!

      Were never rejoining. Firstly he conditions would be unacceptable to certain sectors of the public and it would need a public vote again, any party trying to squeeze us in by the back door would be lost for the next 30 years as the older generation wouldn’t give then headway anymore for the loss of trust and we would have to wait for them to shuffle off.

      The pound would have to go, France has already implied it, if we were to join it would require unanimous approval of all member states to keep it which, france would veto.

      So no were not joining even like Sweden and Poland and then there’s small insignificant Hungary, were not getting past them any time soon, especially with whats happening at the moment, a cold hand would see to that. Hell would be quite pleasant, before the opportunity of the UK rejoining, someone is happy Europe doesn’t have a unanimous voice and wishes to keep it that way.

      The world is going to have to change a lot before were welcomed back with both arms and not one holding a knife.