Andy Burnham told the that “Yes, things are possible. I think where we are isn’t good enough”, and a new YouGov poll for The Times now shows most Britons want a referendum before any move to rejoin the EU. The poll puts 64% in favour of a public vote first, with 23% saying the government should be able to decide without one.
Andy Burnham and the
Burnham’s comments have put renewed attention on the route back to the European Union, but the poll suggests that route would run through voters again. In the same survey, 54% of those who would vote to rejoin the EU still said there should be a referendum before any decision, showing support for rejoining does not remove support for another vote.
The split is sharper among those who want to stay outside the bloc. Ninety-five percent of that group said there should be a referendum first, leaving little appetite for any government-led return without direct public consent. That leaves the debate focused less on whether a rejoin vote could be won and more on whether voters would accept the decision process itself.
YouGov and The Times
YouGov’s figures also show how support for a referendum cuts across party lines. Among Remain voters, 54% wanted a referendum before rejoining; the figure was 60% for Green voters, 59% for Labour voters, 50% for Lib Dem voters, 80% for Tories, 82% for Leave voters and 88% for Reform UK voters.
The same poll found 52% of Britons would vote to re-enter the EU in a rejoin referendum, compared with 27% who would vote to remain outside the bloc. Another 15% said they were unsure and 7% said they would not vote, leaving the balance close enough that turnout and undecided voters could matter in any future ballot.
EU referendum question
The figures set up a clear constraint for any future move: public support for rejoining does not translate into support for skipping a referendum. Among 2024 Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters, 73% to 79% would vote to rejoin the EU, but even there many still want the choice put back to the country first.
That is the unresolved issue now. Whether any future Labour manifesto would include an in-out referendum on EU membership would decide whether a rejoin plan is framed as a direct appeal to voters or as a government decision first and a vote later.
