Why Rejoin the E.U.?

Benefits of the U.K.'s return to the E.U.

Public Support

British public sentiment regarding Brexit has changed over time since going into effect. Recent polls estimate that 54% of voters believe that Brexit was a mistake, up from 46% the previous year (Devlin, 2023). Additionally, the same study found that 56% of voters believe Brexit has made the economy worse. The graph on the left by Curtice (2023), averages several polls across the U.K., finding that the majority of voters favor E.U. membership. Currently, public support for rejoining the E.U. continues to increase, creating the perfect opportunity to move toward another referendum to discuss the U.K.'s return.

A Return to Freedom of Movement

For many U.K. citizens, Freedom of Movement is a key part of why they wish to rejoin the E.U. Many E.U.-nationals and U.K. citizens have been impacted by the Brexit decision as they can no longer easily move between the U.K. and other countries within the E.U. This limitation is a large part of why the Brexit decision has been so impactful on the U.K. economy

(European Parliament, 2017)

(Springford, 2022). A return of freedom of movement would allow E.U. nationals to live, study, or work within the U.K. (or U.K. nationals to work within the E.U.) once again without the burden of the visa. A return to freedom of movement would benefit not only U.K. citizens, but also the country itself. Reportedly, Brexit has cost the U.K. around £40 billion in tax revenue (Hills, 2022). The return of freedom of movement could recoup this cost as trade improves between the U.K. and E.U. countries (Lawless & Kren, 2022).

Benefits to
Non-E.U. Nationals

For non-E.U. nationals, Brexit has improved their ability to enter the country and find work. That is why upon rejoining the E.U., the U.K. should maintain its current 'liberalized' policies surrounding worldwide immigration (Sumption, 2022). Immigration by non-E.U. nationals played a large part in shielding the U.K.'s economy and GDP from predicted losses upon leaving the E.U. (Portes, 2022). As such, immigration has been beneficial to

the U.K.'s economy, especially in recent years. Therefore, by largely keeping current immigration policies the same and embracing this workforce, whilst also rejoining the E.U. and reestablishing Freedom of Movement, the U.K. stands to bolster its own economy. Doing so will also provide enhanced legal pathways for human migration.

Migration

Survey

Page References

Curtice, J. (2023, January 5). Two years on: A decline in the popularity of Brexit. What UK Thinks: EU. https://whatukthinks.org/eu/two-years-on-a-decline-in-the-popularity-of-brexit/

Devlin, K. (2023, January 1). Two-thirds of Britons now support future referendum on rejoining the EU after Brexit. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-poll-referendum-rejoin-eu-b2250813.html

European Parliament. (2017, December 30). Free movement of workers [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJNJQhNvjtI

Hills, J. (2022, December 20). Brexit costs government £40 billion a year in lost tax revenue. ITV News. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.itv.com/news/2022-12-20/brexit-costs-government-40-billion-a-year-in-lost-tax-revenue

Kren, J. and M. Lawless (2022). How has Brexit changed EU-UK trade flows?, ESRI Working Paper 735, Dublin: ESRI, https://www.esri.ie/publications/how-has-brexit-changed-eu-uk-trade-flows

Portes, J. (2022). Immigration and the UK economy after Brexit. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 38(1), 82-96.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grab045

Springford, J. (2022, December 21). The cost of Brexit to June 2022. Centre for European Reform.
https://www.cer.eu/insights/cost-brexit-june-2022