Sir John Curtice, the UK's leading polling expert, says support for rejoining the European Union has reached its highest level since the 2016 Brexit referendum, but he warns that politicians must actively make the case for closer EU ties or the shift in public opinion could stall. Speaking exclusively to The Independent as part of the "Europe: The Way Back" campaign, Curtice said the change owes more to demographic shifts than active persuasion, since few political leaders have championed rejoining, and he cautioned that any future referendum would still be closely fought and heavily dependent on how the argument is framed.

Curtice's polling puts support for rejoining at 61 per cent against 39 per cent for staying out, the highest average figure recorded since 2016. Most 2016 voters have not switched sides, with only around 18 per cent of Leave voters now backing rejoining and 11 per cent of Remainers wanting to stay out; the shift instead reflects newly eligible young voters strongly favouring EU membership, alongside the deaths of older Leave-leaning voters. Curtice said Labour, including Andy Burnham, would need to actively "sell" closer ties rather than stay quiet, noting that a UK-EU summit expected later this year could see deals on food and drink exports and youth mobility.