Most people in the four largest countries in the European Union would welcome the UK back into the bloc, a new poll has found – but not on the same terms it had before.
At the same time most Britons are in favour of rejoining the EU, the YouGov survey of six western European nations found, but only if they can keep the opt-outs the UK previously had, such as remaining outside the Schengen zone and keeping its own currency.
The results come just days after Sir Keir Starmer welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron to the UK for the first state visit from an EU leader since Brexit.
The Labour leader has said he wants to fix Britain’s damaged relationship with the European Union for the benefit of “generations to come”.
Now, 10 years after MPs voted to hold the referendum that led to Britain leaving the EU, the poll found that at least half of people asked in France, Germany Italy and Spain, supported the UK being allowed to rejoin, a range that spanned from 51 per cent support in Italy to 63 per cent in Germany.
But the pollster said the results revealed a “public opinion impasse”.
Asked if Britain should be allowed to return on the same conditions as when it left, support fell.
Just one in five across the four countries, from 19 per cent in Italy and France to 21 per cent in Spain and 22 per cent in Germany, agreed, with more than half, 58 to 62 per cent, saying the UK must be part of all of the EU’s main policy areas.
In the UK, 54 per cent supported rejoining the EU, but that number fell to 36 per cent if it meant giving up previous opt-outs. If that was the case, 45 per cent said they opposed returning to the EU.
The final European country polled, Denmark, one of three member states to hold significant opt-outs itself, was more enthusiastic about allowing UK to keep its previous opt-outs, a stance 43 per cent of people said they backed.
The official Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the size of the UK economy will be four per cent smaller over the long term than it would have been without Brexit.
The Independent also revealed earlier this year that Brexit has created a “mind-blowing” nearly two billion extra pieces of paperwork for businesses – enough to wrap around the world 15 times.
