Rejoining EU Would Cost Britain £22 Billion a Year Warns Former Vote Leave Chief

Polling Shows Public Still Opposed to Rejoin

Lord Elliott said polling he has seen confirms the public does not want to rejoin the EU. He added: “The polling I look at shows that people don’t want to rejoin the polling. They’re still worried about the cost of rejoining.”

Reeves’ Brexit Damage Claim Challenged

The former Vote Leave chief also took direct aim at Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ repeated claim that Brexit has cost the UK 8 per cent in economic growth. He said the figure is misleading and based on a “combination” of the US and Estonia economies. Instead, he argued, the UK should be compared with France and Germany — and Britain has actually outperformed both since leaving the EU.

Liberal Democrats Push for Closer Ties

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey disagreed, telling the same podcast that closer EU relations are needed to cut bureaucracy, reduce costs for businesses and boost trade and jobs. He said: “There’s a really strong case for that.”

• £22 billion annual cost to rejoin EU – three times prisons budget
• Based on 2020 £17 billion contribution plus inflation and lost rebate
• Most Britons still oppose rejoining due to cost, says Lord Elliott
• UK has outperformed France and Germany post-Brexit, polling shows
• Reeves’ 8% Brexit damage claim challenged as misleading

Reform UK: Another Backdoor Betrayal

Reform UK has repeatedly warned that Labour’s “reset” with the EU is a slow-motion reversal of Brexit. The party argues that every step closer to Brussels — whether Erasmus+, alignment on food and drink rules or new legislation using Henry VIII powers — hands sovereignty back to the EU and costs British taxpayers billions. Reform UK insists Britain must respect the 2016 referendum result and put British interests first, not waste money on expensive EU schemes that previously delivered poor value.

What This Means for Britain

Lord Elliott’s warning comes as Labour pushes ahead with closer EU ties, including rejoining Erasmus+ at £570 million in the first year alone and preparing legislation that critics say would allow ministers to rubber-stamp Brussels rules using controversial Henry VIII powers.

At a time when families face rising bills, frozen tax thresholds and a cost-of-living crisis, £22 billion a year to rejoin the EU would be an enormous burden on British taxpayers. The public voted to leave in 2016 and take back control. Polling shows most people remain concerned about the cost of reversing that decision.

Reform UK’s clear message is that Britain must not be dragged back into the EU by the back door. Taxpayers’ money should be spent on British priorities — not expensive Brussels schemes that deliver poor value and undermine sovereignty.

With local elections just weeks away, voters have a chance to send a powerful message to Labour: respect the referendum and put Britain first.

Share if you believe Britain should not pay £22 billion a year to rejoin the EU.

This article is a factual summary of reporting by GB News. Full original story available on their website. All quotes directly attributed.