UK Faces £39 Billion Annual Cost to Rejoin EU
Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces Cabinet division and warnings of £750 million weekly membership fees as he prepares to sign a reset deal with the EU.
Research from the campaign group Stay Out indicates that if Andy Burnham pursues rejoining the European Union, the United Kingdom could face membership fees of £750 million per week, totaling approximately £39.3 billion annually. This projected cost is nearly double the 2016 gross contribution, attributed to a larger EU budget, new green levies, and the loss of the historic budget rebate.
The analysis comes as the Prime Minister prepares for a UK-EU summit in Brussels next Friday to sign a reset deal. Originally negotiated by Keir Starmer, the agreement reduces post-Brexit export checks for food producers in exchange for dynamic alignment, which requires the UK to adopt EU food and farming regulations. A House of Lords European Affairs Committee report warns this alignment could necessitate adopting roughly 780 EU laws per year.
Burnham has expressed a desire for closer cooperation and a national conversation on future relations, but he faces internal Cabinet divisions. Former Vote Leave figure Michael Gove has criticized the prospect of rejoining, arguing it would return the country to national division and result in a loss of control over laws, borders, and trade.
