00:04If we are serious, if we are serious about promoting growth, controlling immigration,
00:14upholding our values and security, it is a conversation we must have.
00:20Sticking with the status quo is not good enough for Britain.
00:25Britain could rejoin the European Union within a single parliament, according to a new report from the pro-European campaign
00:33group Best for Britain.
00:35But rejoining would depend on political agreement on both sides, and the public's role remains a key question for voters.
00:42A YouGov poll found strong support for closer ties without rejoining the EU,
00:48while another YouGov poll for The Times found most people wanted a referendum before any decision to re-enter the
00:54bloc.
00:55For households and businesses, the debate is about more than whether Britain formally rejoins the European Union.
01:01Closer ties could involve practical agreements on food and drink, youth mobility and emissions trading,
01:08with negotiations shaping what changes in everyday life.
01:12Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the public would be the boss at every stage of renegotiation,
01:18and has not ruled out putting EU re-entry in Labour's next election manifesto.
01:23A report by the pro-European campaign group Best for Britain argues that rejoining could be possible within a single
01:31parliamentary term.
01:33It points to Finland, which joined the EU in less than three years in the mid-1990s,
01:38as an example of a relatively quick process where countries are already closely aligned.
01:43The report also says speed would depend on strong political will on both sides.
01:49That is the group's assessment, not a timetable agreed by the UK government or the EU.
01:55Any actual route back would depend on negotiations and the terms agreed.
01:59We need to take a calm, clear-eyed, rational look at the world as it is today to consider what
02:05is best for our country.
02:07Our immediate priority is securing a successful outcome at the summit,
02:11and I believe we should then set up a serious dialogue about the different options for our relationship in the
02:17long term.
02:17At every stage, the British public will be the boss, and I am clear that public opinion currently supports a
02:27pragmatic approach like the one I am suggesting.
02:31But if we go into this further phase, we will proceed with care and complete transparency.
02:37Mr Speaker, this is the leadership we need to draw a line on a decade of drift and division and
02:46take the country forward.
02:48Beyond Europe, a confident Britain is ready to play our part on the global stage as we take up the
02:54presidency of the G20 in 2027.
03:00Public opinion polling points to an important distinction between closer ties and full membership.
03:07A YouGov poll in September found 73% of voters supported a closer relationship with the EU without rejoining.
03:1615% opposed that option.
03:20Separate polling found 64% wanted a referendum if the government negotiated a deal to rejoin,
03:27while 23% said ministers should be able to decide without one.
03:31Those figures measure different questions and do not establish support for a single agreed route.
03:37Among Leave voters, 64% backed that closer relationship option and 24% opposed it.
03:45A UK-EU summit is scheduled for the 20th of November and is intended to strengthen the strategic partnership between
03:52the two sides.
03:54Reports say discussions are expected to cover food and drink, a youth mobility scheme and emissions trading.
04:00Andy Burnham recently spoke about this in Parliament.
04:05Beyond Europe, a confident Britain is ready to play our part on the global stage as we take up the
04:11presidency of the G20 in 2027.
04:15I confirmed in New York that we will place AI centre stage in our presidency, capturing the incredible opportunities it
04:23presents while guarding against the risks.
04:26Leading voices like the president of Microsoft are saying Britain is the world leader in AI safety.
04:32So we are well placed to take on this role and work towards agreeing a single set of global principles
04:39and standards on AI as part of our G20 presidency year.
04:45Mr. Speaker, the message to the world is clear.
04:48Britain is back on so many fronts.
04:51We are playing our part and looking confidently to the future.
04:55These are potential steps towards closer cooperation, not an agreement for Britain to rejoin.
05:01The central questions remain how far the relationship should change, what terms both sides could accept and whether any eventual
05:09decision on membership would be put to a public vote.
