Third of Labour members want Britain to rejoin the European Union – poll

A third of Labour members want Britain to rejoin the European Union rather than simply seeking closer ties, exclusive polling for LabourList has shown.

The survey of party members, carried out by Survation, found a strong appetite for a cosier relationship with Europe – although respondents were divided on how this should be achieved.

Just over one in three (35%) of Labour members want Britain to become an EU member state again, with around three quarters (74%) saying Brexit is to blame for Britain’s economic woes.

But while the move would be popular among many progressives, the poll results also suggested some hesitance to fully embrace a ‘rejoin’ message.

A plurality of members favoured re-entering the European single market and customs union, but without taking on EU membership. This option had the support of 39% of members, putting it narrowly ahead of outright rejoining the EU.

Some anti-Brexit campaigners advocate a path to EU membership that would see Britain use the single market and customs union as stepping stones to rejoining Europe in full.

Other figures oppose reversing Brexit this soon after the referendum, but want to take advantage of the economic benefits that the single market might bring.

It comes as Liberal Democrat MP Al Pinkerton puts forward a ten minute rule motion in the Commons, seeking to impose a duty on the Chancellor to enter negotiations with the EU to agree a customs union.

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Labour’s 2024 manifesto ruled out renewed membership of the EU, single market or customs union, saying the country under the party’s watch would be “confident in our status outside of the EU”.

But LabourList’s polling suggests very few members want to keep Britain’s ties with Europe unchanged, with just six percent wanting to keep the status quo intact.

Less than one percent of those polled said they wanted the UK to have an even more distant relationship with the EU.

In addition, support for joining the customs union but not the single market – meaning Britain would have a common tariff policy with Europe but not free movement of goods, services and capital – had the support of slightly more than one in ten (13%) of members.

It comes as Labour has sought to “reset” relations with Europe since the party’s return to power last July, with Keir Starmer securing a renewed deal with the EU in March.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy last week suggested that re-entering a customs union with the EU would be beneficial for the UK to consider, although it is not government policy.

He told The News Agents podcast: “It’s self-evident that leaving the European Union badly damaged our economy, took us out of an important marketplace and created serious friction, that untruths were being peddled by those that thought exiting the EU would be a good thing.

“You can see countries like Turkey with a customs union seemingly benefiting and seeing growth in their economy, and again, that’s self-evident.”

However, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden reiterated to Sky News that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had been “pretty clear” that the UK would not rejoin the customs union.

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Among Labour members who voted in the 2020 leadership election, those who supported Keir Starmer were the likeliest (at 43%) to back rejoining the European Union in full.

Fewer than one in three of Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy’s voters favour this position, with 29% of both their backers wanting to re-enter the bloc.

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