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UK could rejoin the EU within four years, Barnier suggests
Former EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says the UK could rejoin the EU in as little as four years, arguing that negotiations could be quicker than the talks over leaving. His comments reopen discussion about closer ties, while highlighting that membership would involve accepting obligations the UK had previously sought to avoid.
Barnier said the departure process was prolonged partly because Britain also left 600 international agreements. He ruled out restoring the £5bn annual budget rebate secured by Margaret Thatcher, though said the UK would pay the usual contribution expected of a member state. He also said rejoining would mean accepting free movement alongside the other three freedoms of the single market; Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said closer ties would involve trade-offs.
In short
- Barnier says UK rejoining could take as little as four years.
- The £5bn annual rebate would probably not return.
- EU membership would require accepting free movement.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Rejoining the EU could restore closer economic and political ties, reduce barriers to trade and give the UK a voice in decisions affecting the single market. Barnier’s estimate suggests negotiations might be relatively quick if Britain were willing to accept the usual membership contribution and the four freedoms, including free movement.
The case against
Membership would require the UK to accept obligations it previously chose to leave, including free movement and the standard budget contribution without its former rebate. Those trade-offs could limit the UK’s control over migration and public spending, so closer cooperation outside the EU may better suit voters who value national policy autonomy.
Explained simply
The European Union is a group of countries that share rules and work together on trade and other issues. The UK joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973, and left the EU in 2020 after the 2016 referendum.
EU membership includes joining the single market, where goods, services, money and people can move freely between members. Members also contribute to the EU budget and follow shared rules; the UK previously had a rebate that reduced its payments.
Michel Barnier led the EU’s negotiations with the UK over Brexit. Any return to membership would require agreement with the EU and involve decisions about those shared rules and obligations; Lisa Nandy is a UK government minister who has spoken about the trade-offs involved.
Europe Government Politics UK World