Rejoining the EU

Steve Race Excerpts

Monday 12th October 2026 Westminster Hall

[Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I thank the many tens of thousands of people, including hundreds of my constituents, who signed the petition to rejoin the EU. Today’s debate is timely and important. In my constituency we are proud Europeans, and during the referendum that took place 10 years ago, Battersea voted overwhelmingly to remain, with 78% of voters choosing to stay.

The UK’s relationship with Europe is essential, and the Prime Minister was right when he said he believed leaving the European Union had done “more harm than good” in the UK. Many people voted for Brexit because they were promised greater prosperity and opportunity. However, those promises have simply not been realised. In my opinion, the UK leaving the EU has been an unmitigated disaster and has left us poorer as a result.

If we are serious about growth, prosperity and opportunity, we must look at our relationship with Europe. The economic case is clear, despite what many Members have already said. Rejoining the EU would significantly boost the UK’s GDP. Indeed, much research has shown that, including research from Best for Britain on UK-EU integration, which found that full membership would unlock between 2.5% and 3.6% growth in UK GDP. Moreover, rejoining the EU is an issue that many constituents, including mine, continue to raise with their parliamentarians.

As the co-chair of the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, I work closely with colleagues here in Parliament and with Members of the European Parliament. Those conversations demonstrate our shared values and our steadfast commitment to work closely and constructively. They also show how much effort has gone into managing many of the unnecessary barriers and complications that did not exist before Brexit.

[Steve Race (Exeter) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech. In my Exeter constituency, we were heavily reliant on exports to the EU. Many businesses have simply stopped exporting or shut up shop completely. English language schools have also really struggled. We were a centre for English language schools, which bring children and young people from across Europe to Exeter to learn the English language. That is drying up quite significantly.

My hon. Friend mentioned the other ways in which we lose out from being outside the EU. The previous Government specifically pulled us out of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, which means that our air ambulances face challenges and delays in their missions. This issue is not just economic; it is social and affects the way our society is organised. Does my hon. Friend agree that some of those things could be fixed at the upcoming summit?

[Marsha De Cordova]

Absolutely. My hon. Friend is right that there are so many areas where we could benefit. It is not just the economy.

Those conversations with our colleagues across Europe have also reinforced my belief that, as our close neighbours and historical allies, we are stronger when we work together. When the PPA meets in London next month, which again is timely, ahead of the UK-EU summit, we will continue to call for deeper co-operation between the UK and EU and for practical agreements that support growth—agreements on food and drink, emissions trading and creating opportunities for young people. That will support growth, security and resilience.

In an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment, strong relationships with our oldest neighbours and closest allies matter even more. We have seen that through our collaborative work on the issues facing Ukraine. The Prime Minister has opened the door to a national conversation about our future relationship with Europe and we must seize that opportunity. It is not an opportunity to revisit what happened more than 10 years ago, but we must be honest about the lessons of the last decade and ambitious about the decades to come. What will that look like? If we want growth, prosperity, security and resilience, we must choose a future that brings us closer with the European Union once again.