London Mayor Sadiq Khan advocates for Labour to pledge reversing Brexit in its next manifesto, positioning rejoining the European Union as essential amid rising global instability, including Donald Trump’s election.
Khan’s Call for Rejoining the EU
Sir Sadiq outlines a strategy for deeper EU integration, including reentering the customs union and single market. He highlights daily economic, social, and cultural harm from Brexit, particularly in London.
“I see on a daily basis the damage Brexit has done to not just London, but to Londoners, the damage economically, socially and culturally,” Khan states. “I’m quite clear in terms of what needs to happen, which is, we should join the European Union.”
He presses Labour to campaign on this issue: “We should, as a Labour Party, fight the next general election with a clear manifesto commitment—a vote for Labour means we would rejoin the European Union. I think it’s inevitable.”
Shifting Circumstances and Global Risks
Khan argues that conditions have evolved since the 2016 referendum. “The facts have changed and the evidence has changed,” he notes, citing Trump’s leadership and world volatility.
“It is an inevitable and increasingly necessary destiny, in an incredibly unstable world and with Donald Trump in power in America,” Khan declares. “Europe is our only security. For this reason, I am asking Prime Minister Keir Starmer and our Labour Party to go into the next elections with a promise to rejoin the EU.”
He points to Trump imposing tariffs on allies and adversaries, generating economic uncertainty, alongside U.S. involvement with Israel in conflict with Iran, which drives up oil prices and living costs.
Government Positions on EU Ties
Chancellor Rachel Reeves warns the UK risks isolation between competing trade blocs without stronger Brussels links. She emphasizes alignment as the norm, except where divergence occurs, to curb prices and inflation.
“Our fate as a country is inescapably bound with that of Europe,” Reeves adds, noting Brexit’s lingering uncertainty as globalization shifts.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks a reset in EU relations to boost trade. In a recent address, he critiques Brexit’s unkept promises: “The Brexit vote was a fair, democratic expression, and I will always respect that. But how it was sold and delivered was simply wrong. Wild promises were made to the British people and not fulfilled.”
Upcoming UK-EU summits aim to settle youth mobility, sanitary standards, and emissions trading. However, Downing Street reaffirms red lines against rejoining the customs union, single market, or freedom of movement to preserve deals with nations like the US and India.
