In her first major speech after leaving the helm of the British Treasury, former Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated that the future of the United Kingdom lies in the European Union. As reported by BBC News, the Labour figure argued in an article for the Sunday Times that Brexit has made the nation poorer, weaker, and less secure, welcoming an open discussion on ties with Europe.

Reeves expressed hope that the summit between the United Kingdom and the European Union scheduled for 20 November in Brussels will lead to the confirmation of the youth mobility scheme. The former Chancellor is also aiming for progress on joining the Security Action for Europe programme, an EU initiative conceived to strengthen defence following the conflict in Ukraine, already opened to British companies by a pact signed last May.

The position expressed by the former minister fits into the internal debate within the government led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The Prime Minister declared the need for an honest discussion on future relations, nonetheless reiterating that substantial changes would require an electoral mandate before 2029, in light of the 2024 manifesto that ruled out rejoining the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement.

The opposition parties reacted by criticising the reopening of the European question. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch disputed the usefulness of resuming discussions on Brexit, calling them disconnected from economic priorities and the management of public spending, while Nigel Farage of Reform UK rejected the existence of a mandate for an organic rapprochement with the Brussels institutions.