Should rejoining the EU be decided by referendum rather than being a manifesto commitment?
The UK left the EU following the 2016 referendum. Under current Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the government maintains red lines against rejoining the single market, customs union or free movement but faces internal and external pressure including from Tony Blair to set a path towards rejoining a reformed EU within a decade. There is no legal requirement for a referendum on rejoining, though many argue consistency with the Brexit vote demands one while others say a manifesto commitment and parliamentary vote would suffice.
4 Opinions
As well as a referendum on joining, this can only be on favourable terms and to a different EU than we left, otherwise we’ll only end up wanting out again.
Yes and not just a binary in or out. We need options. Which also requires the EU to be open to that. The EU we left is not the EU it is now. We would be joining an increasingly right wing Europe. I believe that if the option was for something akin to the common market and that had been on the table, or the last referendum had included legislation that would have prevented ceding any more power to Europe without a referendum on each separate issue, leave wouldn't have won.
Referendums can be divisive, and reduce choices to binary outcomes. However, symmetry, fairness and the need for public acceptance makes me support the idea of rejoining only if people support it through another referendum -- once the terms of a deal are settled and clear, but not before. We joined after a referendum, left after one and if people want to rejoin, let me them have a direct vote.
A referendum held today would be a win for rejoin. But it should be a binding agreement for the next 70 years.