The vast majority of British voters support closer trading and security ties with the European Union in the wake of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, new polling shows.
According to figures compiled by More in Common, two-thirds – 66 per cent – of Britons said they wanted the UK to have improved trading terms with the EU.
This included nearly four in ten – 39 per cent – saying they would like to see the UK have “much closer” trading links with the bloc.
And in a further sign of the dramatic shift among Brits towards closer ties with Europe at a time of strained relations with the US, 63 per cent said they wanted tighter links with the EU on security and defence.
65 per cent would vote to rejoin EU in new referendum
In each case the size of the majorities suggests a significant move away from a pro-Brexit stance among Brits, particularly at a time when the bond between the UK and the US under Donald Trump has frayed.
Luke Tryl, executive director at More in Common, said the figures demonstrate the growing sentiment within Britain that the country should be closer to the EU.
“With the UK-US relationship under strain, some Britons are looking again at our ties to Europe. There is clear support for closer cooperation with the EU, particularly on security and defence,” he said.
The polling also shows that just over half of those surveyed – 51 per cent – believe another EU referendum should be held within five years, with the figures suggesting if such a vote were to be held today, the rejoin vote would win with 65 per cent of the vote.
The figures come as Sir Keir Starmer insisted that the economic benefits of closer relations with the EU were “too big to ignore” at a time when the UK faces a long-lasting impact from the conflict in Iran.
The Government is seeking to align more closely with the EU in specific areas, including in food and drink trade, joining the EU electricity market, and matching carbon taxes as it looks to boost economic growth in the UK.
Food deal could be worth £5bn to UK economy, officials claim
It is understood a new food standards trade deal alone could be worth around £5bn to the UK economy and bring down the price of goods from beef to apples for consumers. But officials are already concerned that any such benefits could be wiped out by the economic fallout from the Iran conflict.
Starmer spelled out the need for closer economic ties with Brussels as he warned MPs of the hit to the UK from the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
“The [economic] consequences will be significant and they will last longer than the conflict itself,” he told the Commons.
He vowed that the UK’s response to the current crisis would be different to previous crises, including the financial crash, Brexit and Covid to “reflect the changing world we live in”.
And he added: “Looking forward it also means a closer working relationship with our European allies. Because Brexit did deep damage to the economy, and the opportunities we now have to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living are simply too big to ignore.”
Legislation to align food standards a ‘betrayal’ of Brexit
The Prime Minister’s comments came just hours after he defended his plans to introduce legislation next month that would enable ministers to usher in EU regulations without a vote from MPs in the Commons.
Under the plans, the new bill will allow the Government to fast-track regulations in specific areas, such as food standards, where the UK has agreed to “dynamically align” with Brussels.
The move has sparked outrage from the Conservatives and Reform UK, which have both branded the proposals as a “betrayal” of Brexit.
But Starmer told BBC 5Live in an interview on Monday: “We have got to look forward, not backwards. Let’s not have all the old arguments of the last decade.
“We are trying to make trade easier so there are less burdens for business and that translates into lower prices.”
Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage said Starmer’s plan to dynamically align with EU regulation makes no sense economically or politically.
“In democratic terms, it’s a total betrayal of the Brexit vote for 10 years ago. It is also a complete breach of the Labour manifesto and a further devaluation of Parliament.”
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