Joe Meighan, Public Affairs Manager at European Movement UK, reflects on the developments we have seen in Westminster this week on the view of the government on UK-EU relations.
Westminster was like a bus stop on Monday. You wait ages for a discussion on Europe and then two debates come along at once. First, Andy Burnham opened the question of Britain’s European future in the Commons. Later, MPs debated EU membership in Westminster Hall.
The Prime Minister had already confirmed two things in recent weeks. Labour’s manifesto red lines on the UK-EU relationship will remain in place in this parliament. But, for the longer term, he will consider every option, including membership.
The timing of Burnham’s parliamentary intervention reaffirming those twin commitments was partly a political calculation. He knew the Westminster Hall debate was coming. He knew Labour MPs would use it to make pro-European points. He wanted to get ahead of that discussion and stay in control of the narrative.
There is also, however, an economic background. With a difficult Budget approaching on 28 October, Europe is looming ever larger in internal government discussions about how to deliver prosperity. A government serious about improving living standards must examine the barriers that make trading with our neighbours more difficult. Our relationship with the EU is integral to the discussion about how we pay for better public services and create opportunities across the country.
Perhaps a copy of our Heart of Europe 2036 paper on how we can be back in the EU within a decade has found its way into the Prime Minister’s red box? We would be delighted to provide another, in case the first was buried beneath Treasury submissions.
The Westminster Hall debate showed why that conversation – the ‘how’, not just the ‘why’ or the ‘when’ of joining the EU - matters.
In Westminster Hall, Stella Creasy MP, Chair of the Labour Movement for Europe, challenged the idea that the UK can just decide to join and the rest will follow. Europe has its own priorities. We need to understand them and approach our partners with humility.
Creasy also renewed her call for a parliamentary committee to scrutinise European affairs, something that European Movement UK wants in this parliament. MPs need a permanent forum to examine agreements, question ministers and hear evidence from those affected, helping the public understand the choices available. Democratic legitimacy for any future deal is imperative.
Ben Coleman MP offered a moving account of seeing Britain contribute to Europe, recalling his time in divided Berlin and working in Brussels. “I want us to be that again, and this time for keeps.” That last thought is crucial, as our case must be strong enough to endure a change of government.
Summit in the water
The first test of the government’s more pro-European turn will be the EU-UK summit in Brussels on 20 November. It will focus on delivering pledges made at the first summit in May 2025, on easing food and agricultural trade, linking emissions trading systems, closer energy cooperation and a youth experience scheme. Those measures are modest in the context of a debate about membership. But they will bring tangible benefits and will help rebuild confidence around the negotiating table, undermined by the delays and disagreements that have marred the period since that earlier summit.
There is a lesson here for those of us who want to get the UK back in the EU as soon as possible. Membership negotiations will not proceed without hitches. Much of the work will be technical, given that the UK remains aligned with much EU law. But there will also be procedural hold-ups and political setbacks.
The UK must embark on this journey with our eyes open. We should not mistake a difficult negotiation for an impossible one. Our European partners will have legitimate interests to defend and political pressures of their own. UK representatives will need to defend our corner on occasion. But they must demonstrate that they understand the responsibilities of membership and that we intend to stay.
This is why our Heart of Europe 2036 ambition matters. We want to see the next election fought and won on manifesto commitments to seek the UK’s accession to the EU. If the election is in 2029, an application to join the EU could follow in 2030. Negotiations and ratification of UK accession could be completed by 2036. The timetable depends on public consent, political commitment and agreement with our European partners. With a fair wind, we might get there earlier. But, even if it takes a little longer, we should not change course.
Our recent polling with Obsurvant suggests there is appetite. 54.5% of respondents supported working towards EU membership with the aim of joining by 2036, with 21.8% opposed. Those figures include undecided respondents.
These findings and those of other polls give politicians permission to be more ambitious, and campaigners a responsibility to persuade. Supporting a ten-year ambition does not mean someone has resolved every concern about the eventual agreement. Trust will depend on clear and honest explanations.
One finding should guide the tone of the whole conversation: 59.1% wanted Britain to focus mainly on the relationship with the EU best for the country’s future. We should not re-run the arguments of 2016. We must convince voters of what Britain could achieve in the Europe of the 2030s and beyond.
That means that showing how membership could help businesses expand, open opportunities for young people and support investment in communities worried about their future. We should also ask what Britain can contribute to Europe’s security and prosperity. A confident country should want to help shape the decisions affecting its continent.
Monday’s debates show that the tide is turning, the door to Europe is now opening in earnest. The Prime Minister is showing leadership, and the pro-European majority in Parliament is finally speaking out with confidence and conviction.
What is needed now is political will and hard work. The European Movement will play our part in each of these.