𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Rejoiners who want to see the UK back in the European Union have been dealt a blow with only a third of Britons supporting a return to the bloc. The prospect of Britain once again becoming an EU member state was put back on the political agenda when potential Labour leadership contender Wes Streeting said he wanted the UK to “one day” rejoin. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham – who is expected to challenge the Prime Minister if he wins the upcoming Makerfield by-election – has also said he supports renewed membership in his lifetime, although he has since insisted he respects the 2016 referendum result.

Pollsters Opinium found just 36% of the public believe the country should rejoin the EU. More than half (51%) think Britain should remain outside the EU, but with varying degrees of separation.

Around one in five (21%) think the UK should negotiate a closer relationship with the bloc; 17% want to maintain the same relationship; and 14% want an even more distant position than we have now.

There was strong support for giving ordinary Britons the final say on whether Britain rejoined the EU. Half said it should be decided in a referendum; 14% said it should only happen if a party clearly promised it at a general election and won. But 17% said Parliament should be able to introduce the legislation to rejoin.

The polling exposes a crisis in Labour’s relationship with voters. With Sir Keir Starmer fighting to remain Prime Minister, a mere 14% believe Labour is a united party. Just 16% say it represents what most people think.

Fewer than one in five (19%) think Labour is “in touch with ordinary people”, has a “clear sense of purpose”, can be trusted to take big decisions or “has views similar to my own.

Just 20% described Labour as “competent”, only 24% said it has the “nation’s best interests at heart”, and a mere 26% thought it was “tolerant”.

The polling shows that less than two years after winning the July 2024 landslide, only one in five people say they would vote Labour. The party is second place behind Nigel Farage’s Reform UK (27%) and ahead of the Conservatives (18%), the Greens (15%) and the Lib Dems (12%).

When voters were asked if Sir Keir should fight or stand down in the face of a leadership contest, 48% said he should resign while 32% thought he should be a candidate.

And when asked who they would like to see replace Sir Keir, Mr Burnham was the top choice (20%), ahead of former deputy PM Angela Rayner (5%) and ex-Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (both 3%).

When comparing Sir Keir, Mr Burnham and Mr Streeting, respondents thought the Manchester Mayor was most likely to provide “hope and optimism for the future”. Nearly three out of 10 (28%) of respondents thought he would do this, compared to 11% thinking Sir Keir could perform this task, and 5% who thought Mr Streeting would.

Mr Burnham was also ranked highest for “providing strong leadership”(27%) and “rebuilding trust in politics” (25%).