To the uninitiated, the term “Brexit” is a blend of “Britain” and “exit.” It refers to the United Kingdom’s political decision in the 2016 referendum to withdraw from the European Union (EU). Many experts believe this decision fundamentally reshaped the country’s economy, trade policies, immigration trends, and political dynamics. “Our economy has been ruined by leaving Europe,” a retired Professor of Anthropology told me. Brexit fever — or call it “Brejoin” this time — has gripped the United Kingdom all over again in the last couple of weeks, especially after the local council elections of May 7 in which the ruling Labour Party and the opposition Conservative Party performed very poorly. The two historical giants of British politics lost control of several local councils across the country to newer and/or resurging smaller parties, especially the right-wing Reform UK and the left-leaning environmentalist Green Party. Local council elections are normally a pointer to what may happen in general elections. I remember very well the heated debate in 2016, pitting the “Leave” campaign against the “Remain” campaign. Initially, many people, including myself, thought the Leave campaign was a joke; Britain leaving the EU was unthinkable. Then came June 23, when the results shocked many. The Leave campaign had narrowly won the vote with 51.9%, driven mainly by concerns over immigration, loss of national sovereignty, and the cost of EU membership. The UK officially left the EU on January 31, 2020, after four years of complex political and economic “decoupling.” Since then, there have been occasional voices calling for a “re-join,” but no major political party had committed to it as an official policy platform. However, recently these voices have begun to gain traction. In the run-up to the May 7 local council elections, rejoining the EU became a campaign issue for some candidates and a vote winner in certain areas. In the South-West London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, vote counting went on throughout the night of May 7. Party leaders were pacing up and down with worried faces, fearing that Reform UK could take control of the council leadership. I overheard one local Labour MP saying, “It is the first time we are facing this challenge,” referring to a five-party contest in which the larger parties were being threatened by smaller ones. Then came the results, and the Labour Party won the vote and retained control of the council. In his victory speech, I was caught off guard to hear the Council Leader and Labour Councillor Stephen Cowan declare, “We are the only pro-EU council in the entire United Kingdom,” followed by a round of applause. It was my first time hearing a major party leader make such a declaration since the 2016 Brexit vote. On further investigation, I learned that the Hammersmith and Fulham Council building (known as the Civic Centre) on King Street is the only UK government building that continued to hoist the EU flag alongside the Union Jack after the UK left the EU. In other words, this London local council has never fully symbolically left the EU. The losses in the local council elections also triggered a political storm within the ruling Labour Party, leading to ministerial resignations and renewed questions about the leadership of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. As he fought for his political survival, the Prime Minister began making increasingly pro-EU statements. One of them was: “Brexit has made us poorer, weaker; we will put Britain at the heart of Europe.” Then two leadership challengers emerged seeking to oust Sir Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader and UK Prime Minister. One of them, Wes Streeting, who had just resigned as Health Secretary, is openly pro-rejoining the EU. The other, Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham, is not openly pro, but neither is he openly against. So back to the question: Could the UK rejoin the EU? If I were asked to gamble on yes or no, I would say yes, because I have seen the momentum building. The writer is a keen observer of global affairs.
