MPs to debate UK rejoining EU after Labour opens door to Brexit 'betrayal'

MPs will soon debate whether the UK should rejoin the European Union after more than 100,000 people signed a petition demanding accession to the Brussels bloc as soon as possible. The petition, which was created last December, received a response from Sir Keir Starmer's Government on January 7 this year. The Cabinet Office pointed out Labour's 2024 manifesto ruled out rejoining the EU, its single market and customs union. This Government is seizing the flexibility of Brexit – making the best choices for business and citizens from its position outside the EU, the Cabinet Office added. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say However, the petition's author, Robert McCaster, argued: The OBR judges that the UK economy is smaller and trade is weaker because of Brexit, and it will just get worse. Ten years after the Brexit vote, let's apply to rejoin the EU, reverse the damage, boost growth, increase tax revenues and restore opportunities in the UK.He added: The OBR's March 2025 economic forecasts show the Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement will reduce long-run productivity by four per cent due mainly to the increase in non-tariff barriers on trade with both imports and exports 15 per cent lower, and that new trade deals will not have a material impact to offset this.Labour and Liberal Democrat veterans have been lauding the merits of rejoining the EU, with ex-Health Secretary Wes Streeting voicing his support for eventually reversing the result of the 2016 referendum.Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was forced to U-turn on his personal support for rejoining the bloc after being unveiled as Labour's candidate in the Brexit-backing seat of Makerfield. Nick Clegg, who helped spearhead the Remain campaign as leader of the Liberal Democrats, also proposed a rejoin target date of 2036.Veteran Eurosceptics have sounded alarm bells about a potential Brexit betrayal, particularly after Sir Keir Starmer looked to forge closer ties with the EU in his so-called relations reset. Petitions calling for the UK to remain a member of the EU were particularly common between the 2016 referendum and the 2019 General Election. More than six million Britons demanded MPs unilaterally suspend the Brexit process to keep the UK a member of the Brussels bloc in 2019.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSMarine Le Pen could stop Britain rejoining EU if she wins power in FranceBrexit 'betrayal' row sparks furious backlash as Kemi Badenoch labels Labour 'tired clowns'Inside the 'stealth' process to impose EU rules on Britain in one WEEK as fresh details emergeThe figure represented the largest number of signatures obtained for any British petition since the Chartists demanded universal manhood suffrage in 1848. Meanwhile, the second-most-signed petition saw 4.2 million people request a second referendum on EU membership in 2016. However, more recent petitions that have gained traction have focused on demanding an immediate general election. More than three million people signed a petition demanding a general election last May, triggering a Westminster Hall debate.The recent rejoin EU petition obtained noticeably high numbers of signatures across Brighton's three Remain-voting constituencies.Other pro-EU constituencies also registered a large number of signatures, including Bath and Cambridge.However, Brexit-backing seats in the South West and South East were also included in the list. South Devon recorded 288 signatures and Hastings also registered 306 signatures.More than 120 constituents in Nigel Farage's seat of Clacton also signed the petition. The UK voted decisively to leave the EU in 2016, with 17.4 million backing Brexit and 16.1 million supporting Remain.Brexit was again on the ballot at the 2019 General Election when Boris Johnson secured an 80-seat majority after pledging to get Brexit done.However, pollsters detect a considerable drop in support for Brexit 10 years on, with YouGov finding 56 per cent would now vote to rejoin the Brussels bloc and just 35 per cent wanting to keep Britain out. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter