Could Britain really rejoin the EU without another referendum?

How did we get here?

In June 2016, the British public voted to leave the European Union.

The UK officially left the EU in January 2020. Since then, British citizens and businesses have had to deal with new rules covering travel, trade, residence and working in Europe.

Many people now believe that Brexit has caused more problems than benefits. This has led to renewed discussion about whether Britain should build a closer relationship with the EU — or possibly rejoin it completely.

Is rejoining the EU really being discussed?

Yes, but it is still at a very early stage.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that Britain should have a serious discussion about its long-term relationship with Europe.

On 12 October, MPs also debated a public petition calling on the Government to apply to rejoin the EU. More than 111,000 people had signed it.

However, this was only a debate. MPs did not vote to rejoin, and the Government has not submitted an application.

Could Parliament decide without another referendum?

Possibly.

There is no automatic legal requirement for Britain to hold another referendum before applying to rejoin the EU.

A government could make rejoining part of its election manifesto. If it won the election, it could argue that voters had given it permission to begin negotiations. Parliament would then have to pass the necessary laws.

However, the Government might still decide to hold a referendum because rejoining would be such an important constitutional decision. Andy Burnham has said that the British public would be “the boss”, but he has not yet explained exactly how they would be asked to approve any change.

Could Britain rejoin before the next election?

A new report from the pro-European campaign group Best for Britain says that the full process could take less than five years.

The group points out that Finland completed its application in under three years. It argues that Britain could also move fairly quickly because it was previously an EU member and still follows many EU rules.

But this is an estimate from a campaign group. It is not an official timetable agreed by the British Government or the EU.

Rejoining before the next UK general election therefore appears very unlikely. What campaigners are really saying is that the process could possibly be completed within one full parliamentary term, once a government had formally decided to apply.

Would Parliament have the final say?

No. Britain could not simply vote itself back into the EU.

The UK would have to apply under Article 49 of the EU treaty. It would then need to negotiate the conditions of its return.

All 27 EU countries would have to agree. The European Parliament would also need to approve the application, and the final agreement would have to be formally accepted.

Britain could not assume that it would regain all the special arrangements it enjoyed before Brexit, including its budget rebate and opt-outs from certain EU policies.

So, is Britain about to rejoin?

No — not at the moment.

What has changed is that rejoining the EU is no longer a subject that most senior politicians refuse even to discuss.

The Prime Minister is talking openly about examining Britain’s future relationship with Europe. Some European leaders have also said that Britain would be welcome to return.

For now, the Government’s immediate aim is a closer agreement with the EU covering trade, food standards, energy, immigration and opportunities for young people.

Full EU membership is back in the conversation — but Britain has not yet started the process of rejoining.