Our relationship with the European Union: Looking forward

This afternoon (12/10/26), MPs will debate the UK's future relationship with the European Union in Westminster Hall. As that debate takes place, I wanted to take the opportunity to share my thoughts on where we are now and how I believe we can build a stronger, more pragmatic relationship with our European neighbours.

I have a long-standing interest in European policy. I studied German alongside economics at university, and spent a year studying at the Freie Universität Berlin through the Erasmus programme.

I also spent six months working in the Economics and Financial Directorate of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. There, I saw first-hand the considerable influence Britain could exercise in shaping the rules and regulations governing financial markets across the UK and Europe in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

That experience reinforced my belief that Britain achieves more when it actively shapes European decisions rather than standing outside the room. It also motivated me to volunteer for the Remain campaign in Dunstable, Luton and Leighton Buzzard, where I grew up and was living at the time.

Leaving the European Union was not the outcome I wanted, nor was it the path I would have chosen for our country. I do not believe Brexit has left Britain better off overall. While there may be some limited benefits in particular areas, I believe the economic and wider national costs have outweighed them.

As the local Member of Parliament for the towns, villages and city that make up our Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, I will continue to argue for the closest possible relationship between the UK and the European Union. I believe Britain’s economic, security and national interests require us to work closely with our European partners and play an active role in shaping Europe’s future.

When I reflect on the challenges that will confront our country throughout the rest of this century, from climate change and migration to improving living standards, shaping the development of artificial intelligence and confronting threats from state actors such as Russia, China and Iran, will demand greater international co-operation. We must also strengthen our resilience against non-state threats, including terrorism and artificial intelligence-driven disinformation. Cooperation, not isolation, will be essential to meeting these challenges.

I also believe we need to think carefully and honestly about what our relationship with Europe should look like in the 2030s and 2040s. The European Union has evolved since the UK left, and any discussion about our long-term future must take account of that. We need to consider the options openly, understand their implications and build a clear, sustainable public consensus at home. That matters not only for the UK, but also for our European partners, who need confidence that any agreement we reach will endure and that Britain will remain a reliable partner.

For example, if the UK were to consider rejoining the EU, we would need an honest national conversation about what membership would mean in practice. That would include the implications of the EU’s four freedoms of movement, whether the UK could secure an opt-out from the Schengen area, and what obligations might arise in relation to the euro. We would also need to consider how EU membership might affect the UK’s wider trading and commercial relationships, including agreements we have negotiated since leaving the EU, such as our membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). These are important questions that we would need to examine carefully and transparently. We should neither rule out options prematurely nor make promises without properly understanding their consequences.

In the meantime, I welcome the progress made over the past two years to improve relations. At the first UK-EU summit in 2025, both sides reaffirmed their shared values and committed to deeper cooperation, including a defence and security pact and stronger economic ties.

We have also seen encouraging progress on practical issues that matter to businesses and families. The sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU will make it easier for British businesses to sell our excellent food and agricultural produce to European customers, support jobs and help ease pressure on food prices. I also welcome the agreement for the UK to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme in 2027, opening up valuable opportunities for young people and others in education, training, culture and sport.

These are important steps, but I believe they should represent the floor, not the ceiling, of our ambition. Businesses across our constituencies continue to face unnecessary barriers to trade, while young people have lost opportunities that membership of the EU once provided. We need to address these problems and build a closer, more ambitious partnership.

That means looking beyond trade to our wider shared interests: strengthening the European pillar of NATO, removing barriers to defence industrial cooperation, working together on illegal migration, improving our economic security and making our societies more resilient to external threats.

The UK and EU are due to hold a further summit this year. I hope both sides will agree to new measures to boost growth, cut red tape, help businesses expand and restore opportunities for young people. I also welcome the Government’s commitment to present options for the UK’s longer-term relationship with our European partners, allowing a wider conversation about the direction we should take.

Ultimately, I believe we must be honest about the consequences of Brexit and ambitious about Britain’s future. I will continue to argue for the closest possible relationship with the European Union, while ensuring that we approach the longer-term choices carefully, openly and with a clear understanding of our national interests.