On December 30, 2020, then-UK Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson stood up in the House of Commons, stating “we got Brexit done, let’s keep Brexit done, and let’s keep Brexit done because I have always said that Brexit is not an end but a beginning”. That day the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was signed and provisionally applied two days later. Today, after three years, Brexit is still far from done. Setting aside the gradual implementations, the reason why Brexit is here to stay is political rather than practical. A polling by Redfield & Wilton Strategies published on July 17, 2023, found that over 55% of the UK public would vote to Rejoin the EU, with 36% in favour of remaining outside the Union and 9% unsure.
These polls come at a turning point in the Brexit saga. As of April 18, 2023, a majority (55%) of Brits are in favour of a second referendum, this time on re-joining the EU, within the next five years. This, however, does not mean that the UK will Rejoin the EU anytime soon. As a recent EU member, the UK meets all of the Copenhagen criteria and would therefore be an ideal candidate for EU membership, at least on paper. However, several events in the past seven years and the current political and economic climate have made a quick reversal of Brexit very unlikely. This article will walk through some of the main issues that would hinder the UK’s efforts to rejoin today.