Labour MPs need to listen to their pro-European supporters and back growing public calls for a rethink of the government’s doomed Brexit “reset”, the Rejoin EU Party says.
A parliamentary petition demanding the UK re-join the EU as soon as possible has surged past the 100,000 signatures needed to trigger a Westminster debate and has now topped 117,000.
Polls have also consistently shown rising dissatisfaction with Brexit and demand for closer EU ties, particularly amid growing concerns about US policies on trade tariffs and Ukraine.
Despite the government insisting it can “make Brexit work” without re-joining the EU, its single market and customs union, many Labour MPs know Brexit has failed and they should attend the debate when it happens, Rejoin EU says.
“This is not a ‘reset’ at all, it’s tinkering around the edges,” Rejoin EU Party leader Brendan Donnelly told LBC News in an interview on Friday.
“There are a lot of Labour supporters deeply disappointed in what Starmer and his chums are doing in this fraudulent ‘reset’. They were hoping that once Labour had been elected, there would be a volte-face, a turn in a European direction. Many Labour MPs and supporters are on our side.
“When you look at opinion polls about how many people want to re-join the EU, without any political leadership from any of the big political parties, it’s extraordinary that a majority always comes up for re-joining the EU, or certainly for accepting Brexit was a mistake.”
Meanwhile, the EU is most unlikely to agree to giving the UK only what the latter regards as the most useful aspects of EU membership without re-joining.
“I’m not at all sure the EU would be prepared to engage in such cherry-picking,” Donnelly said. “I think it’s much more likely they would want us back as a full member.”
The Rejoin EU Party suggests voters and Labour supporters in particular should contact their MPs urging them to attend the debate when it’s scheduled.
