Story perspectives

Tony Blair urges EU re-entry within ten years

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 3:14 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Blair Urges EU Reentry

Tony Blair urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to commit to EU re-entry within ten years.
IPPR estimates UK loses £6.5 bn annually in EU exports without mutual recognition.
Best for Britain’s Tom Brufatto said full EU membership could add at least £92 bn to the UK economy yearly.
Parliament will debate EU re-entry on 12 October.
Tony Blair Institute proposes Britain join the EU’s €150 bn SAFE fund and a North Sea energy hub.

Summary

UK Productivity Outpaces Eurozone

The ONS component-based method finds UK labour productivity grew 10% from 2015 to 2024.
The increase is roughly double the eurozone’s productivity growth over the same period.
Cumulative productivity is projected to reach about 11% by mid-2026, exceeding the 2007-2015 trend.
The slowdown began after the global financial crisis, not after the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Only the United States outperformed the UK, with Canada and Japan lagging behind.

History

Historical Context

On 5 June 1975 the United Kingdom held its first nationwide referendum, asking voters if Britain should stay in the European Community; 67 % approved the stay with a 64 % turnout. The Labour government’s split cabinet allowed open campaigning, and the vote remained the sole UK-wide Europe referendum until 2016. Today, former Prime Minister Tony Blair urges Labour leader Andy Burnham to pledge EU re-entry within ten years.

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Blair Urges EU Reentry

Tony Blair urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to commit to EU re-entry within ten years.
IPPR estimates UK loses £6.5 bn annually in EU exports without mutual recognition.
Best for Britain’s Tom Brufatto said full EU membership could add at least £92 bn to the UK economy yearly.
Parliament will debate EU re-entry on 12 October.
Tony Blair Institute proposes Britain join the EU’s €150 bn SAFE fund and a North Sea energy hub.

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