The debate over Brexit and rejoining the EU has been reignited once again following Andy Burnham’s suggestion that he is open to bringing Britain back into the bloc.
In a major intervention in his Labour Party conference speech on Tuesday, the prime minister said Britain’s decision to leave the EU had done “more harm than good” and promised to set out the options to the country around the time of a UK-EU summit later this year.
He went further on Wednesday morning, insisting he could go “all the way” in proposing to rejoin the European Union.
Mr Burnham’s comments have reopened the debate over a second referendum, ten years after the nation voted to leave the bloc.
The Independent launched its Europe: The Way Back campaign in June this year, calling for Britain to rebuild closer relations with Europe.
Former chancellor George Osborne called for a return to the customs union in an interview with Independent editor-in-chief Geordie Greig earlier this month. Sir John Major called for a return to the single market within the next five years.
Many other high-profile figures and celebrities have maintained pro-EU stances since the 2016 vote, with some having directly backed rejoining.
Here are some major figures backing the call:
Peter Reid
Ex-Everton star Peter Reid was among the first to directly support the prime minister’s bid to open the door to rejoin the EU following his Labour Conference speech.
“I’m all for it,” he told Sky News. “The referendum didn’t go well last time we had it. It was a – how would you say it being a Scouser – a dodgy referendum where there was a lot of untruths, or economical with the truth.
“I’m all for it. I read it exactly the same as you so I’m all for it.”
Asked if Mr Burnham should have gone further, he said: “Yeah. But I’m not the PM.
“It’s a hard gig but he’s doing it his was and I’m fully supportive.”
Sir Richard Branson
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson has called Brexit an “unmitigated disaster” and has called for voters to be given a “second chance” to decide on Britain’s future in the EU.
Last week, Sir Richard issued a scathing assessment of Brexit’s impact on the nation, following calls from Sir Tony Blair’s think tank urging to government to commit to rejoining within ten years.
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In a post on LinkedIn, Sir Richard said the 2016 referendum was “marred by disinformation campaigns and foreign meddling” which prompted what is “arguably the most consequential political process in modern British history”.
“I agree: Brexit has been an unmitigated disaster, costing the UK up to 8 per cent of its GDP, with significant losses in trade, productivity, and employment. It’s a hole the UK cannot dig itself out of. Certainly not on its own,” he said.
He added: “As a majority of UK voters now feel regret over the Brexit vote, they must be given a second chance to determine what is in their best interest.”
Carol Vorderman
TV presenter Carol Vorderman has been consistently critical of Brexit and pro-EU.
Amid demands for another general election in 2024, Ms Vorderman called for a second EU referendum.
“Right wingers stamping their feet saying Call A General Election Tell you what.... Let's have a Rejoin the EU referendum at the same time? Six million people signed that petition,” she wrote on X.
Earlier in 2024, she cited YouGov polling which found Britain would vote to rejoin the EU if there was a second referendum.
“After the catastrophe known as Brexit - sold to the disenfranchised by Farage and Johnson and those who made money out of the UK leaving .... Brits would now overwhelmingly vote to rejoin if we had a referendum according to today's poll,” she said.
“Then let's have a referendum shall we?”
Tony Blair
The think tank chaired by Tony Blair has said that Britain should commit to rejoining the European Union within a decade.
Sir Tony, who left office in 2007, said Andy Burnham’s government should be clear it wants to enter into a “structured formal relationship” where “everything is on the table”.
In the foreword to the report entitled “Beyond Leave and Remain: A Path to Rejoining a Reformed Europe”, Sir Tony said: “The red lines which we drew in 2016 are not the same as 2026.
The report said: “Britain should play a leading role in shaping a more powerful Europe. The necessary reforms have already been identified – not least in Mario Draghi’s report on EU competitiveness – but implementing them remains the challenge.
“For Britain to be part of that effort, it must show political commitment to Europe. This can be achieved by setting a clear, public objective to rejoin the EU within a decade – subject to internal EU reform.
“This objective should be a cornerstone of the UK government’s upcoming 10-year plan.”
Sir Ed Davey
The Liberal Democrat leader has been one of parliament’s most vocal critics of Brexit, and has stated rejoining the EU is his party’s long term goal.
The Lib Dems set out a four-stage roadmap on growing closer to the bloc in their 2024 manifesto, which said labelled the plan as “essential steps on the road to EU membership, which remains our longer term objective”.
At his party’s annual conference last week, Mr Davey pledged to cut taxes by striking a deal with the EU to rejoin the single market and customs union to boost growth.
Sir Ed said his plan to “slash the Brexit red tape” by joining the single market and customs union will bring “down barriers to trade”, creating the growth needed for his tax plans.
Sir Sadiq Khan
The mayor of London has recently called on Andy Burnham to start work immediately on rejoining the EU, urging the prime minister to do the “heavy lifting” on returning to the bloc as soon as possible.
Speaking from the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Sunday, the London Mayor told the i Paper: “We’ve got to start the work now.
“You can’t, a week before a general election, pull out of a hat this rabbit of a manifesto and say we’re going to rejoin in six weeks’ time.
“The heavy lifting, the pitch-rolling must be done now, explaining to the country the disbenefits of being outside the European Union and the benefits of being part of this family.”
Gary Lineker
Back in 2018, football commentator Gary Lineker backed the campaign for another referendum.
He joined the People's Vote campaign, which at the time comprised of cross-party MPs and public figures calling for a second referendum on Britain’s Brexit deal.
“I am not a politician but I know when something is going wrong and right now Brexit feels like it is going very wrong indeed,” he said at the time.
Sir Patrick Stewart
Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart was also one of the many celebrities who backed the People’s vote campaign, which ultimately failed.
Speaking at a rally in 2018, Sir Patrick said the country’s “future is at stake” as he pledge not to “stand idly by”.
“Since the 2016 referendum there has been a concerted effort by many, including in government, to shut down debate about Brexit and to tell us we should simply trust ministers to get on with it,” he said.
In 2020 he said Brexit made him “very, very sad”.
He told PA Media: “I think what is happening with the European Union is actually the saddest, grimmest thing that has happened to me since I have been involved in politics.”
Other famous faces who have backed remaining in the EU in the past:
• David and Victoria Beckham
• Daniel Craig
• Elton John
• Sir Stephen Hawking
• Bear Grylls
• Hugh Grant
• JK Rowling
• Billy Bragg
• Benedict Cumberbatch
• Paloma Faith
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