Labour MP Tony Vaughan will today lead a Westminster Hall debate on a petition calling for the UK to rejoin the European Union, as MPs return to Parliament after the conference recess.
E-petition 749128, titled "Apply to rejoin the EU as soon as possible to increase growth in the UK", received 111,687 signatures before it closed in June, passing the 100,000 threshold at which the Petitions Committee considers petitions for debate.
The MP for Folkestone and Hythe is opening the debate, and a government minister will respond.
The case in the petition
The petition cites the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast that UK GDP will be around 4% lower in the long run than if Britain had remained in the EU, and calls for an application to rejoin in order to reverse that trend and boost growth.
A changing debate
The debate takes place against a very different political backdrop from when the petition was launched. At Labour's conference last month, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Brexit had "done more harm than good" and promised to set out the options for Britain's long-term relationship with Europe around the time of the next UK-EU summit.
He has since said those options could include a customs union, single market membership or going further, while saying a referendum on rejoining "wouldn't be the right thing to do right now".
Hamish Falconer, appointed Minister for European Relations in July, has said he wants a sense of renewed pace in the reset talks with Brussels. Negotiations on a youth experience scheme, a food and agriculture (SPS) agreement and linking emissions trading schemes are expected to be concluded at a UK-EU summit pencilled in for 20 November.
Cross-party positions
The Conservatives and Reform UK oppose rejoining, while the Liberal Democrats back single market and customs union membership, and the Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru support rejoining.
Westminster Hall debates on e-petitions do not end in a binding vote, but give MPs the chance to set out their views and press ministers on the government's position.
