Ten years after the referendum that took the United Kingdom out of the European Union, Brexit is no longer a politically untouchable decision. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated on September 30 that the departure had caused “more harm than good” and publicly outlined four alternatives for the future relationship with Europe: maintaining the current system, joining a customs union, returning to the single market, or even considering rejoining the EU. He did not announce a new referendum or an immediate application for membership, but the political shift is significant. In 2016, 17,410,742 Britons—51.9%—voted to leave and 16,141,241—48.1%—voted to remain , with a turnout of 72.2%. A decade later, Reuters reports a different social landscape: a recent YouGov poll puts support for a possible rejoining at 55% . Emmanuel Macron welcomed the opening by stating that it would be "excellent news," although he recalled something basic: London could not only recover the advantages of European integration without also accepting its obligations.

The shift exposes a contradiction in contemporary British foreign policy. While London reconsiders a withdrawal that weakened its European economic integration, it seeks to maintain a global architecture supported by its Overseas Territories , from Gibraltar to the Malvina Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. Brexit specifically affected these territories by cutting them off from European mechanisms for association and trade access. The British economy has not decoupled from Europe either: the EU remains its primary trading partner. Burnham is not, therefore, discussing a merely sentimental issue. He is acknowledging that “Global Britain,” the promise of regaining autonomy by leaving Brussels, must now be weighed against its economic, commercial, and geopolitical outcomes. For the South Atlantic, the question is particularly pertinent: while the United Kingdom reconsiders its relationship with the continent to which it geographically belongs, it maintains and strengthens political, military, and economic structures located more than 12,000 kilometers from London .

Sources

Reuters, “Burnham says UK should weigh post-Brexit EU options, including rejoining”, 30/9/2026.

Reuters, “Spain, France align on welcoming UK back to EU”, 30/9/2026.

Reuters, “UK's Burnham risks reopening Brexit debate…”, 29/9/2026.

Electoral Commission, official results of the EU referendum, 2016.

European Union–United Kingdom, Trade and Cooperation Agreement, 2020.