Key facts
- UK trade minister Peter Kyle stated rejoining the EU would not solve the UK's issues.
- Kyle believes Britain's future lies with Europe but cautioned against simplistic solutions.
- He expressed frustration with past promises made during the 2016 Brexit campaign.
- Some potential successors to Prime Minister Keir Starmer have raised the possibility of rejoining the EU.
- Starmer has rejected any suggestion of rejoining the bloc but aims to improve trade ties.
British trade minister Peter Kyle is set to state that rejoining the European Union would not "magically solve" Britain's issues, even if the country's long-term future lies with Europe. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to improve trade ties with the EU and criticized the economic damage from the Brexit deal, but has rejected any suggestion of rejoining the bloc. However, recent election results have led some potential candidates to replace Starmer to push the issue of rejoining the EU back onto the political agenda. Kyle, in extracts of a speech, said he was frustrated that some during the 2016 campaign implied leaving the EU would solve Britain's problems, but added that rejoining tomorrow would not solve them either. He worries that some are now making the opposite mistake by suggesting rejoining is the solution to all economic challenges. Wes Streeting, a former health minister expected to contest a future leadership race, has advocated rejoining the EU "one day," while Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, a favorite to succeed Starmer, has stated he is not proposing to rejoin the EU. Separately, a new book by Sir Conor Burns, a close aide to Boris Johnson, reveals Johnson's dim view of his predecessor Theresa May, describing her as a 'giant Yucca tree under whose shade everything dies'.