Former Brexit boss says Britain should rejoin EU after failed ‘heady promises’
The man who led the country’s exit from the bloc said Britain should consider rejoining the European Union after none of the “drunken promises” of the Leave campaign came true.
Philip Rycroft, former permanent secretary at the Office for Exiting the European Union, said there needed to be “a clear assessment of what is in the country’s interests” and that life outside the EU did not meet high expectations.
Don’t write TimesHe warned that the road back to the bloc would be “long and windy” but that “the debate is there to be won”.
The unusual intervention came after Sir Keir Starmer said Britain would not cross the “red lines” of rejoining the single market or customs union.
However, the newspaper reports that some senior figures in the government are pressing for the policy to be reviewed before the next general election.
Mr Rycroft cited figures from a recent YouGov poll for campaign group Best for Britain; These figures show that 53 per cent of people are now in favor of rejoining the EU, 32 per cent are against it and 14 per cent do not know.
“Most economic analysis shows that we have taken a significant hit to GDP as a result of leaving the single market,” he added.
“The exact figure and its impact on our export performance to the EU and beyond may be subject to debate, but no one can credibly claim that we are marching towards the sunny hills of sustainable economic growth as a result of Brexit.”
He said it was “not hard to understand” why people were “falling out of love” with Brexit.
“It seems we are no closer to achieving an immigration policy that commands general consent,” he continued, referring to the Leave campaign’s promise that leaving the bloc would allow the UK to take back control of its borders.
Last month European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: Independent There is “no desire” to return to past discussions on EU membership.
Thomas-Symonds has ruled out any deal that would lead to the UK and the EU entering a customs union, although she insists the government wants to develop closer ties with the EU, especially as the world becomes a more dangerous place.
Even a special version, such as the bloc’s agreements with countries such as Türkiye and Norway, was unlikely, he said.
