Treasury Minister Calls UK Re-entry into EU an Inevitability

Treasury Minister Lord Spencer Livermore stated in the House of Lords that the United Kingdom rejoining the European Union is an inevitability based on the national economic interest. He argued that Brexit caused lasting economic damage, estimating a loss of between 4 and 8 percent of GDP, and characterized claims of Brexit-related economic benefits as absolutely absurd.

These remarks contradict the Labour Party's 2024 manifesto, which pledged to keep the UK outside the EU, the single market, and the customs union. While Cabinet Minister Darren Jones asserted the government is sticking to manifesto red lines, other senior figures like Wes Streeting have previously characterized Brexit as a catastrophic mistake. Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to pursue a European reset to deepen ties and mitigate economic impacts.

Conservative peers, including former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost and Lord Mackinlay, criticized the comments. Lord Frost accused the government of misleading voters and operating on the assumption of rejoining. Meanwhile, Sandro Gozi, head of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, suggested that while institutional memory could fast-track re-entry, the UK would likely need to adopt the euro and abandon specific carve-outs.