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The Guardian World1 min read
Britain should seek to rejoin EU, says civil servant who led Brexit department
TL;DR
A former senior civil servant suggests Britain should consider rejoining the EU, citing economic setbacks from Brexit. Philip Rycroft argues that the promises of Brexit have not materialized as expected.
Key points
- Philip Rycroft suggests Britain should consider rejoining the EU
- Brexit has led to significant economic setbacks
- Promises made during the Brexit campaign have not been fulfilled
- Rejoining the EU could be a complex process
Mentioned in this story
Philip RycroftEUDepartment for Exiting the EU
Britain should start talking about rejoining the EU, according to a former senior civil servant who ran the Brexit department.
Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, said the “argument was there to be won” about going back into Europe, adding that a “clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests” was needed. However, he said rejoining the bloc could be a “long and windy” road.
“Most economic analysis suggests that we have taken a significant hit to GDP as a result of leaving the single market,” he wrote in the Times. “The precise number, and the impact on our export performance to the EU and beyond, might be subject to debate, but no one can credibly claim that we have marched to the sunny uplands of sustained economic growth as a consequence of Brexit.”
Rycroft said the promises of the Brexit campaign on issues from economics to immigration had not lived up to expectations. “The great promise of a comprehensive trade deal with the USA now seems like an impossible dream,” he said.
Philip Rycroft answers questions in the House of Commons in 2018 on the UK’s negotiations on withdrawing from the EU. Photograph: PA Images/Alamy
“Chill winds don’t just blow through the international trading order. The postwar certainties that underpinned our security as a nation are visibly crumbling. With a hot war on the European mainland perpetrated by a revanchist Russia and an increasingly disengaged America, it is beyond peradventure that we must look to solidarity with our friends and neighbours in Europe to secure our defences.”
He concluded: “The argument is there to be won. It is time to talk about rejoining. It might be time to knock on the EU’s door.”
Rycroft’s comments chime with a growing mood within Labour that the party should be bolder on getting closer to the EU or rejoining in future. A number of cabinet ministers want Keir Starmer to push harder on trying to join a customs union or the single market, which are still red lines for the government as it seeks a stronger post-Brexit relationship with the EU.
Q&A
What did Philip Rycroft say about rejoining the EU?
Philip Rycroft stated that Britain should start discussions about rejoining the EU, emphasizing the need for a clear assessment of the country's best interests.
How has Brexit impacted Britain's GDP according to Rycroft?
Rycroft mentioned that most economic analyses indicate a significant hit to GDP as a result of leaving the single market.
What promises of the Brexit campaign have not been fulfilled?
Rycroft highlighted that promises regarding economic benefits and a comprehensive trade deal with the USA have not been realized.
What challenges does Rycroft foresee in rejoining the EU?
He noted that the process of rejoining the EU could be a 'long and windy' road.
