Britain would be welcomed back to the EU – but there would be strings attached, says bloc’s ‘Mr Brexit’

Michel Barnier says the EU would welcome the UK back, but rejoining would come with conditions and require a clear decision by Britain. He warned that accession would be long and complicated, with no option to choose only parts of EU membership, and said Parliament should debate the country’s intentions.

Barnier said the UK left 600 international agreements and would need to accept the obligations of membership, including shared rules. He regretted Brexit, which he described as a lose-lose outcome, and said closer cooperation could come first in areas such as foreign policy, defence and artificial intelligence. The article cites polling showing 61 per cent support for rejoining and an estimate that Brexit has reduced UK GDP by up to 8 per cent.