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In the face of Trump’s threats, Britain’s best path is clearer than ever: hurry back to Europe
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2026
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UK Politics
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I understand the political calculation of Starmer's Brexit position as a means to get power, but the global situation with the US gives Starmer the political cover he needs to just full on reverse brexit and have the UK rejoin the EU as a full member. Trump has given him a narrow window of opportunity to correct an obvious wrong. Starmer needs to seize that opportunity, NOW!
Sure the UK won't get the same cushy deal they had as an EU member before, but it'll still be better than anything he's currently proposing publicly.
Politically it might cost him any Leavers who voted Labour (if any are left who haven't defected to Reform by now), but he'll earn some favour with Remainers who left Labour for the LibDem, SNP and Greens which might be enough to secure a minority Labour government. And, a Labour government moving to rejoin the EU could be enough to shoot the SNPs hopes of a majority in Scotland this spring and their promised independence referendum if they get one. Not that I support any of that, (I've never voted Labour and disagree with most of what comes out of Starmer's mouth). This is just the political benefits I see for Labour if they choose a different path.
Anyway, TL;DR: DO IT! Rejoin the EU today!
The problem with a burned bridge is . . you can’t get back.
Also the people whose bridge it was are pretty angry about it now.
Economically UK was f**ked before, with just Biden in office. Now that the demented rapist is off the leash, the UK is super-f**ked. Brexit was an astonishing feat of self-sabotage, and one PM isn’t able to set it right.
Though we all wish they were.
The problem with bridge analogies is that you can always rebuild a bridge 🤷.
Also, who's bridge do you think it was? This metaphorical bridge surely represents the EU and cooperation between member states of which the UK was once part of. So by definition people in the UK are also angry... and angry to get their bridge back.
TL;DR: Use a better metaphor. No, wait. Rejoin the EU. Yes. That's it.
I’m just saying, there were a lot of special considerations that will be gone now, plus all the insanity spent creating entirely new processes and rules will be trashed.
I hope it works somehow, but then Leave always seemed like a joke gone really wrong.
True, but trying times make strange bedfollows. Just as it is our opportunity to justify rejoining, the EU probably, pragmatically, recognises the need for as much military and economic strength as possible.
I wonder if the UK would have to do something extraordinary like give up the pound. Like to settle the question for some decades.
There's no way they are getting to keep the pound. Zero chance.
We should keep the pound, but tie its value to the euro at something like 1.25 euros to the pound. Functionally identical, but it sounds like the pound is better, as long as you're content to just look at the numbers and not give it any thought at all (which is probably the case for a lot of people who would complain about giving up the pound)
Just FYI a currency isn't strong because 1 unit is worth more, like you can have 100 pounds worth 1.25 euros, you'd just have 100 times more pounds in circulation.
When an economy does better, it usually strengthen its currency and vice versa, but there are downsides to a "strong" currency, like your exports will be more expensive.
It's not simple all that, and you are absolutely right when you hint at bad actors misinforming wilfully.
Oh I'm well aware of that, but I think that people who have a positive emotional response to keeping the pound will also have a positive emotional response to seeing two prices next to one another and the one in pounds being lower.
Absolutely worth it when the pound is so weak.
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