London, United Kingdom. Ten years after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, relations between London and Brussels have become less acrimonious, but the tensions that drove the split remain unresolved. Immigration and ideology continue to shape the limits of any reset in ties.
Political constraints on closer ties
Britain’s departure from the bloc was completed an hour before midnight on December 31, 2020, ending 47 years of membership in what had often been a turbulent relationship.
Efforts to improve ties began under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2022 and intensified after the election of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s more pro-EU Labour government in 2024, helping rebuild trust between the two sides.
However, the scope for restoring closer relations remains limited by the rise of populist and far-right parties in Britain, France and Germany, even as Europe faces a more volatile international environment.
Economic and political impact
Britain’s economy is widely considered to have been harmed since leaving the EU. The country has also experienced its highest turnover of prime ministers in nearly two centuries.
The benefits cited by Brexit supporters, including tailored trade deals and greater regulatory independence in areas such as financial services and artificial intelligence, are not widely felt by the public.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s negotiator on the Brexit deal and a former French prime minister, told Reuters that not all of Britain’s current difficulties were caused by leaving the EU.
But he said: “I think that each and every difficulty in the UK is more serious because of Brexit.”
Supporters defend Brexit
Politicians and campaigners who led the push to leave the EU continue to argue that Brexit has been successful.
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the official Vote Leave campaign group, said national independence had become even more important as the global environment grew more hostile, with the United States more unpredictable, China more challenging and Russia at war in Europe.
“In a world which is rapidly changing, it’s useful actually to have your independence so you can have the right deals for your country and do the right alliance at any one time,” he said.