support for reversing Brexit, USA News: The proportion of Britons who back returning to the European Union has risen to 48 per cent, with rejoiners now holding a 13-point lead over the 35 per cent who think the country should stay out. The development follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham placing a closer relationship to the EU at the heart of his premiership, leaving open the possibility that he could campaign to reverse the referendum entirely with a full return to the bloc.
Polling conducted by BMG for The i Paper shows that support for rejoining has increased by three percentage points to 48 per cent since the previous month, while support for staying out dropped by three points to 35 per cent. Seventeen per cent answered “don’t know” when asked whether the UK should join the EU or stay out. The 13-point lead for the rejoin side matches a figure achieved in April and is second only to a record 14-point lead recorded by BMG in March, with the pollster having tracked the question since May 2023.
Shifting Margins and Electorate Changes
Although the margin of the lead held by the rejoin group has fluctuated over the polling series, it has been wider more often in 2026, suggesting momentum in the direction of returning to the EU fold. Six of the 10 polls conducted by BMG this year have recorded the rejoin side ahead by 12 points or more, compared to only once previously in May 2023. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the lead typically hovered between five and nine points.
Robert Struthers, head of public perceptions at BMG, stated that this trend suggests support for rejoining is strengthening. According to BMG, most of the lead is accounted for by individuals who either did not vote in the 2016 referendum or were too young to do so. Furthermore, because Leave voters were typically older than Remain voters in 2016, deaths over the past decade have disproportionately affected the Leave base, altering the composition of the electorate. Labour also holds a narrow lead over rivals on trustworthiness regarding the EU and Brexit, garnering 23 per cent backing compared to 18 per cent for Reform UK, 13 per cent for the Conservatives, and 7 per cent for the Liberal Democrats.
Political Debates and Upcoming Summit
The increase in support for the rejoin side may partly reflect the arguments made by Prime Minister Burnham on the need for closer European links. In a speech at Labour’s conference last month, he asserted that “Brexit has done more harm than good” and that he could not say “truthfully that where we are is good enough.” He indicated he will use the upcoming UK-EU summit in Brussels on November 20 to set out options for Britain’s long-term relationship with European partners.
However, the government’s official position remains uncertain. While the Prime Minister refused to rule out a second referendum when questioned by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister’s Questions, a No 10 spokesperson subsequently played down those remarks, stating he was not proposing a return to freedom of movement or any particular option at this stage. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stated he has held talks to reactivate the Leave campaign if challenged, while Burnham also faces internal party splits from Cabinet ministers concerned about net migration and Labour MPs in Leave-voting Red Wall seats. BMG polled 1,529 adults in Great Britain on October 28 and 29.
