Rachel Reeves, speaking from the distance of having left the Treasury, has set down in print a conviction her party had kept carefully unspoken: that Britain belongs inside the European Union, and that leaving has diminished the country's wealth, strength and sense of safety. Her words land awkwardly against a manifesto that closed the door on free movement, the single market and a customs union, and against a prime minister who speaks of honest discussion while insisting that any real change must first be earned at the ballot box. The argument is old in British life, returning now not as a re
Reeves argues Britain's future lies in the EU, says Brexit left the UK 'poorer, weaker and less secure'
Britain's future lies in the European Union.
Mark
Why does it matter that Reeves said this now, and in the Sunday Times?
Mimi
Because she is a former chancellor writing in her first major intervention since leaving the Treasury. She says Brexit left Britain poorer, weaker and less secure, and that its future is in the EU.
Mark
That sits awkwardly with Labour's own manifesto, doesn't it?
Mimi
It does. The 2024 manifesto said Labour would stay outside the EU and make Brexit work, and it ruled out free movement, the single market and a customs union.
Luke
Worth being careful, though. Reeves is stating a belief, not announcing government policy. Nothing in the reporting says the government has changed course.
Mark
What has Prime Minister Burnham said?
Mimi
That there should be an honest discussion about the future relationship, and that any change would need a mandate at a general election, due by 2029.
Luke
So he has opened a conversation but not committed to anything. And the claim that Brexit made Britain poorer and weaker is Reeves's judgment. The article reports it as her view and gives no figures.
Mark
What does she actually want in the near term?
Mimi
At the coming UK-EU summit, confirmation of the youth mobility scheme, and progress towards entry into SAFE, the EU's rearmament scheme.
Luke
Note she says she hopes for those. Whether the summit delivers them is unknown. The defence pact last May only paved the way for UK firms to join SAFE-funded projects.
Mark
And the opposition?
Mimi
The Conservatives say they don't want to rerun Brexit, and Farage says there is no mandate for closer ties.
Il Polso
- A former Chancellor has publicly declared that Brexit left Britain poorer, weaker and less secure, breaking ranks with her party's 2024 manifesto.
- Labour's manifesto ruled out free movement, single market membership and a customs union, creating a sharp tension with Reeves's call to rejoin.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejects an open door, insisting any change needs a general election mandate, expected by 2029.
- Opposition parties have closed ranks, with the Conservatives refusing to rerun the Brexit debate and Reform UK saying there is no mandate for closer EU ties.
- Reeves is pressing for a youth mobility scheme and progress toward joining the SAFE defence scheme at the upcoming UK-EU summit, where the government's response will be tested.
Rachel Reeves, speaking from the distance of having left the Treasury, has set down in print a conviction her party had kept carefully unspoken: that Britain belongs inside the European Union, and that leaving has diminished the country's wealth, strength and sense of safety. Her words land awkwardly against a manifesto that closed the door on free movement, the single market and a customs union, and against a prime minister who speaks of honest discussion while insisting that any real change must first be earned at the ballot box. The argument is old in British life, returning now not as a rerun of the old quarrel but as a question of what a country owes its own future. Whether it becomes a movement or remains a single voice will depend on the coming summit and on the patience of those who have just been asked to reconsider.
In the Sunday Times, Rachel Reeves has made the argument that no senior Labour figure of her standing has made so plainly: that Britain's future lies inside the European Union. It is her first major intervention since leaving the Treasury, and she did not hedge. Brexit, she wrote, has left the country "poorer, weaker and less secure."
She said her instincts were never a secret to those around her, and she welcomed a debate about Britain's relationship with Europe. The timing is sharp. Labour's 2024 manifesto promised to make Brexit work and ruled out free movement, the single market and a customs union.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has offered an honest discussion about the future relationship, but not an open door. Any change, he says, would need a mandate at a general election. The opposition has closed ranks: the Conservatives do not want to rerun the Brexit debate, and Nigel Farage says there is no mandate for closer ties.
Reeves admits the case must still be made, through tangible benefits and the right next steps. She points to the forthcoming UK-EU summit as the test, hoping for a youth mobility scheme and progress toward joining SAFE, the EU defence effort launched after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A defence pact from last May already opened a road for British defence firms, and she wants the next step taken. What comes next is the summit, and how the government answers a former chancellor saying aloud what the manifesto ruled out.
In the pages of the Sunday Times, Rachel Reeves has made the argument that, until now, no senior Labour figure of her standing has made so plainly: that Britain's future lies inside the European Union. It is her first major intervention since she left the Treasury, and she did not hedge. Brexit, she wrote, has left the country "poorer, weaker and less secure."
Reeves said her instincts had never been a secret to those around her. "No-one in the Treasury ever doubted where my instincts were," she wrote, adding that she does believe Britain's future lies in the EU. She also said she welcomed a debate about the UK's relationship with Europe.
The timing matters because of what Labour promised at the last election. The party's 2024 manifesto said a Labour government would stay outside the EU and make Brexit work. It specifically ruled out a return of free movement, membership of the single market and a customs union.
The prime minister, Andy Burnham, has taken a more open line than that manifesto might suggest, though not an open door. He has said there needs to be an honest discussion about what the future relationship looks like. But he has also said that any changes would require a mandate at a general election, which is next due by 2029.
The opposition parties were quick to close ranks against the idea. The Conservatives have said there is no desire to rerun the Brexit debate. Reform UK's Nigel Farage has said there is no mandate to pursue closer ties with the EU.
Reeves acknowledged that the case still has to be made. Those who favour rejoining, she wrote, must "make the argument, demonstrate tangible benefits and to get the next steps right." She pointed to the forthcoming UK-EU summit as a test of that approach. There, she hopes for confirmation of the youth mobility scheme she pushed for while in office. She also hopes to see "progress towards entry" into the Security Action for Europe scheme, known as SAFE.
SAFE was announced last March as part of an EU-wide effort to rearm after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A defence pact agreed between the UK and the EU last May paved the way for UK-based defence companies to take part in projects funded through SAFE, so Reeves is asking for a further step along a road already opened.
The piece was also a defence of her own record. She wrote that governments need to be "braver" in building big infrastructure projects, and "clear eyed" about the risks and benefits that AI would bring to advanced economies.
What to watch now is the summit itself, and how Burnham's government responds to a former chancellor saying aloud what the manifesto ruled out.
Citazioni salienti
No-one in the Treasury ever doubted where my instincts were. I do believe Britain's future lies in the European Union.— Rachel Reeves, writing in the Sunday Times
There needs to be an honest discussion about what the future relationship looks like, and any changes would need a general election mandate.— Prime Minister Andy Burnham (paraphrased)
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Politics & Governance