Brexit at Ten: A Decade of Broken Promises and British Drift

Ten years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the British political establishment remains locked in a bitter dispute over the country's direction. The Labour government has branded Nigel Farage a threat to national security over his sympathies toward Vladimir Putin, while the Reform UK leader insists Westminster has failed to deliver the prosperity Brexit promised. As an outgoing Prime Minister signals a reset with Brussels and a potential successor emerges, the debate over Europe's future continues to expose the deep fractures within the British state.

Why is Labour calling Nigel Farage a national security threat?

UK cabinet office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds launched a striking attack on Nigel Farage ahead of a speech to the UK in a Changing Europe think tank. Thomas-Symonds argued that the Reform leader's worldview is sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing Farage's previous remarks about Ukraine and NATO. He warned that allowing a worldview sympathetic to Putin to hold the balance of power would be an unprecedented threat to national security. The minister pointed to Farage's 2014 comments blaming the EU for blood on its hands in Ukraine, and his 2024 suggestions that NATO expansion gave Putin a reason to go to war. Thomas-Symonds stated that Farage has been consumed by an ideological necessity for separation, choosing to fall on the wrong side of history.

Has Brexit delivered the freedom Reform UK promised?

For his part, Farage, the MP for Clacton, conceded that Brexit alone is not enough to save the country. Writing on his Substack, he argued that the 2016 vote was merely a necessary step, but that subsequent governments have failed to deliver on the freedom it offered. He accused political leaders, including former prime minister Boris Johnson, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of ignoring the forgotten places that wanted a fairer deal. Farage stated that the anger and distrust felt by the British people is a direct result of a political class that ignored demands to take control of borders, laws, and growth. He claimed neither the Tories nor Labour are up to the challenge of delivering on the promise of the referendum.

What does Andy Burnham want for the UK-EU relationship?

The debate over Europe's future has reignited following the electoral turmoil that saw Keir Starmer announce his resignation. Andy Burnham, who won the Makerfield by-election and is widely viewed as a prime minister-in-waiting, has sought to play down the prospect of reversing the 2016 referendum. However, Burnham has expressed his desire to see the UK back in the EU within his lifetime. He has pledged not to re-run old Brexit arguments, attempting to navigate a middle path in a deeply polarized political landscape.

Are there calls to rejoin the European single market?

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has urged Andy Burnham to support rejoining the single market, describing the current moment as a defining one. Davey argued that entering the single market is the single most effective step to turbocharge growth, tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and fix the UK's broken relationship with Europe. Despite seeking closer ties with Brussels, Starmer had maintained three red lines during the 2024 election, refusing to return to the customs union, the single market, or allow free movement. The uncertainty has also cast doubt on a UK-EU summit scheduled for 22 July, with the European Commission reassessing whether the meeting will proceed following Starmer's resignation. Davey described the uncertainty around the summit as the cost of chaos for Britain.

What is the future of the UK and Europe?

A decade on from the vote, the promises of Brexit remain unfulfilled. The British state finds itself caught between a hardline isolationism that flirts with foreign dictatorships and a political establishment too timid to advocate for the obvious economic and social benefits of European integration. For those who believe in a modern, inclusive, and socially democratic future, the path forward is clear. The UK must eventually find its way back to the European fold, not out of nostalgia, but out of necessity.