Pledging To Rejoin The EU Would Win Labour The Next General Election

A pledge to rejoin the EU could ensure Labour win the next general election, according to a major new survey.

An MRP poll by YouGov for the pro-Europe group, Best for Britain, has predicted Andy Burnham would likely win 321 seats in the Commons if he promised to reverse Vrexit.

That’s five seats short of the 326 needed for an absolute majority, but it’s the best outcome for Labour out of the multiple scenarios tested by the pollsters.

Almost 14,000 respondents, surveyed between May and June shortly before Burnham became prime minister, were asked how hypothetical EU policies might change their voting intentions.

The poll suggested Labour would drop from its current 403 seats to just 136 if there had been an election in June and it had not changed its EU policies.

The party is currently committed to its EU red lines ruling out rejoining customs union, the single market or bringing back freedom of movement.

Meanwhile, if Labour pledged to rejoin just the single market, the survey found the party would win 257 seats.

And, if the party promised only to join the customs union, it would secure 256 seats.

Chief executive of Best for Britain, Naomi Smith, said: “These numbers are a wake-up call for both the prime minister and Labour backbenchers in previously Leave-voting constituencies.

“EU membership is the only policy lever that Labour close to a majority at the next election and keeps the architects of Brexit out of power.”

The findings come after Tony Blair urged Burnham to make rejoining the EU a core part of his plan for the next decade.

The former Labour prime minister said: “Britain should signal an intention if the terms are right to enter into a structured formal relationship with Europe and initiate a process of negotiation where everything is on the table but nothing agreed until everything is agreed.”

He suggested reforming the EU would be part of the negotiation process and controversially suggested not holding a second referendum on membership.

Burnham was in favour of rejoining the bloc “within my lifetime” prior to getting the keys to No.10.

But he was much cooler towards the topic this week, telling reporters it was a question “for another day”.

YouGov has found Labour has enjoyed a Burnham “bounce” since his premiership began two months ago, without making any major announcements on the UK-EU relationship.

Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament if there were an election tomorrow, winning 241 seats compared to the Tories’ 130 and Reform UK’s 123, according to YouGov’s predictions.

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