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Thinktank says Britain should rejoin EU to handle geopolitical crises

newsOct 19, 20261899

The Institute for Public Policy Research says Britain cannot handle geopolitical crises such as Russian aggression and US turmoil effectively without rejoining the EU. The IPPR paper, whose executive director Harry Quilter-Pinner warned that “sovereignty without the ability to act on it is not autonomy,” urges the UK to begin work to move toward EU membership rather than rely on a series of bilateral deals. The report follows a similar paper from the Tony Blair Institute and comes after Andy Burnham said he wanted to examine all options on EU policy. The IPPR criticises Labour leader Keir Starmer’s stance of closer ties short of single-market or full membership as leaving the UK disadvantaged amid rising threats from Russia, an unreliable US partner, and a more assertive China. New polling cited by the paper shows 52% of voters back reentering the union versus 29% opposed, though support falls to 47% when respondents are told rejoining would “open the floodgates” to migrants. The paper says rejoining would mean becoming a member of a wholly new EU and stops short of calling for an immediate referendum, instead recommending building political support at home and in Europe. The report increases pressure on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to state his position after his review and highlights government worries that a rejoin push could boost Nigel Farage and Reform UK.

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