A former chancellor, stepping back from the Treasury, has used a Sunday newspaper to say what many in her party have long held in private: that Britain's destiny, in her view, lies within the European Union. Her argument, that Brexit has left the country poorer, weaker and less secure, lands in a political moment where the current prime minister has opened the door to honest talk about Europe while insisting that any real change must first be carried by the voters at the ballot box. It is a familiar human tension, a nation weighing a past decision against the costs it has since borne, and the
Reeves Says Britain's Future Lies in the EU, Argues Brexit Left UK 'Poorer, Weaker and Less Secure'
Brexit has made the UK "poorer, weaker and less secure."
Mark
Why does this intervention matter, given she's no longer chancellor?
Mimi
Because of who she is. She sat at the centre of a government whose manifesto said it would stay outside the EU, and now she's saying her instincts always pointed the other way.
Luke
Worth being careful there. She says colleagues knew her instincts. That's her account of her own views, not evidence of a hidden policy inside the Treasury.
Mark
And where does the prime minister stand?
Mimi
Andy Burnham wants an honest discussion about the future relationship, but says any change needs a general election mandate. That's not the same as backing rejoining.
Luke
Right, and the reporting doesn't say he's moving toward rejoining. Only that he's open to talking and has set a condition.
Mark
What are the concrete things she's asking for?
Mimi
Confirmation of a youth mobility scheme at the coming UK-EU summit, and progress toward joining SAFE, the EU's rearmament effort.
Luke
Those are hopes, not agreements. The defence pact from last May allows UK firms into SAFE-funded projects, but full entry hasn't been confirmed.
Mark
And the claim that Brexit made Britain poorer, weaker and less secure?
Luke
That's her judgment. The source gives it as her argument and doesn't set out figures to back it, so it can't be treated as established here.
Mimi
Fair, and the Conservatives and Farage dispute the premise of reopening the question at all.
El Pulso
- A former chancellor has broken her silence and declared that Brexit has left Britain poorer, weaker and less secure, pressing her case at a politically sensitive moment.
- Labour's 2024 manifesto explicitly ruled out free movement, single market membership and a customs union, creating a visible gap between old promises and new debate.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham welcomes an honest conversation about Europe but draws a firm line: no change without a general election mandate.
- Reeves is pressing for a youth mobility scheme and a step toward joining the SAFE defence programme at the next UK-EU summit, testing whether talk can become concrete gains.
- Rival parties, the Conservatives and Reform UK, have already closed ranks against reopening the Brexit question, setting up a contest that will run until the 2029 election.
A former chancellor, stepping back from the Treasury, has used a Sunday newspaper to say what many in her party have long held in private: that Britain's destiny, in her view, lies within the European Union. Her argument, that Brexit has left the country poorer, weaker and less secure, lands in a political moment where the current prime minister has opened the door to honest talk about Europe while insisting that any real change must first be carried by the voters at the ballot box. It is a familiar human tension, a nation weighing a past decision against the costs it has since borne, and the answer will be shaped as much by the coming summit and the election due by 2029 as by any single voice.
Rachel Reeves has used the pages of the Sunday Times to make a case that many in her party have preferred to leave unspoken: that Britain belongs inside the European Union. Writing in her first major intervention since leaving the Treasury, the former chancellor said Brexit has made the country "poorer, weaker and less secure," and she said she had held that view throughout her time in office.
Her words sit uneasily against Labour's own 2024 manifesto, which promised to make Brexit work and ruled out a return of free movement, single market membership and a customs union. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled a more open stance, calling for an honest discussion about the future relationship, but he has been equally clear that any significant change would need a mandate from a general election, due by 2029.
Reeves does not simply want a change of direction. She argues that those who favour rejoining must make the case, show tangible benefits and get the next steps right. Her immediate hopes rest on the forthcoming UK-EU summit, where she wants confirmation of a youth mobility scheme she says she pushed for in government, and progress toward the SAFE defence scheme, which the EU launched to rearm after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A defence pact from last May already opened some doors for UK firms; she hopes to see them opened further.
The article also doubled as a defence of her record, with calls for governments to be braver about large infrastructure and clear-eyed about the risks and rewards of AI. The coming summit will show whether the youth and defence questions are answered, and whether Burnham's call for honest debate can grow into a manifesto commitment before the voters are asked again.
Rachel Reeves has used the pages of the Sunday Times to say what many in her party have avoided saying out loud: that Britain's future belongs inside the European Union. Writing in her first major intervention since leaving the Treasury, the former chancellor argued that Brexit has left the country "poorer, weaker and less secure."
She was direct about where she stood while in office. No one at the Treasury, she wrote, ever doubted her instincts, and she said she believes Britain's future lies in the EU. She also said she welcomed the debate now under way about the UK's relationship with Europe.
That debate sits awkwardly against Labour's own recent record. At the last election, the party's manifesto said a Labour government would remain outside the EU and make Brexit work. The 2024 document specifically ruled out a return of free movement, membership of the single market, and a customs union.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has taken a more open line than that manifesto might suggest, saying there needs to be an honest discussion about what the future relationship looks like. But he has also set a limit: any changes, he has said, would require a mandate at a general election. The next one is due by 2029.
The other parties have already staked out their positions. The Conservatives say there is no desire to rerun the Brexit debate. Reform UK's Nigel Farage says there is no mandate to pursue closer ties with the EU.
Reeves did not simply call for a change of direction. She said supporters of rejoining had a job to do: to make the argument, to demonstrate tangible benefits, and to get the next steps right. In practical terms, she pointed to the forthcoming UK-EU summit. There she hopes to see confirmation of a youth mobility scheme, something she says she pushed for while in office. She also wants "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 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A defence pact agreed between the UK and the EU last May already paved the way for UK-based defence companies to take part in projects funded through the scheme. Reeves's hope is for that opening to go further.
The article was also a defence of her time in government. She wrote that governments need to be "braver" about building big infrastructure projects, and "clear eyed" about the risks and benefits that AI will bring to advanced economies.
What to watch next is the UK-EU summit, where the youth mobility and SAFE questions may be answered, and whether Burnham's call for an honest discussion moves any closer to a manifesto commitment before the 2029 deadline.
Citas Notables
I do believe Britain's future lies in the European Union.— Rachel Reeves, Sunday Times
There needs to be an honest discussion about what the future relationship looks like.— Prime Minister Andy Burnham (paraphrased)
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