Precedents with British Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak with in the 2023
AI Safety Summit in Bletchley Park, 2 November 2023 The UK failed to take part in the diplomatic discussions that led up to the creation of the
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), likewise later withdrawing from negotiations for the constitution of the
European Economic Community (EEC). The United Kingdom's failed applications to join the
European Communities (EC) in 1963 and 1967 were vetoed by the president of France,
Charles de Gaulle, who said that "a number of aspects of
Britain's economy, from working practices to
agriculture" had "made Britain incompatible with Europe" and that Britain harboured a "deep-seated hostility" to any pan-European project. Once de Gaulle had relinquished the
French presidency in 1969, the UK made a third and successful application for membership.
UK membership in the bloc (1973–2020) Following the UK accession to the EC in 1973, the former got to renegotiate membership terms, vied for budgetary rebates and requested opt-outs from the single currency and other common policies. Since 1977, both pro- and anti-European views have had majority support at different times, with some dramatic swings between the two camps. In the
United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum of 1975, two-thirds of British voters favoured continued EC membership. The highest-ever rejection of membership was in 1980, the first full year of Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher's term of office, with 65% opposed to and 26% in favour of membership. As a member of the EU, the United Kingdom never adopted the use of the
euro or joined the
Schengen Area, which, bringing down border controls in a number of countries, thereby allowed for free movement of citizens. Likewise, the UK government adhered to a long-standing policy of enthusiasm for
EU enlargement, under the premise that the addition of more members would undermine any federalising drive (deepening) of the union. Vis-à-vis
Gibraltar, a
British Overseas Territory whose defence and foreign policies are handled by His Majesty's Government, the
Spain's accession to the European Communities in 1986, negotiated with the UK inside the bloc from a position of strength, made the former country to renounce its power, recognised by the
Treaty of Utrecht, to close
its land border with Gibraltar at its discretion. The then Conservative UK government acquiesced to the 1992
Maastricht Treaty (by which the European Union came into existence) as it aligned with its vision of the bloc as essentially a free market. The 1998
Good Friday Agreement pertaining the end of the
ethnonationalist conflict in Northern Ireland was signed under the context of the shared membership of the UK and Ireland in the EU. meets with President of the European Commission
Jean-Claude Juncker with in
Brussels, Belgium, 21 October 2016. Following the result of the
2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, when 52 percent of those who voted supported '
Brexit' (a blend of "British exit"), the UK
negotiated its withdrawal from the European Union. After the vote, British Prime Minister
David Cameron, who supported staying in the EU, resigned.
Theresa May became the prime minister after his formal resignation. Although she also supported remaining in the EU, she committed to negotiating Britain's exit. The United Kingdom formally left the bloc on 31 January 2020.
Post-Brexit relations (since 2020) On 30 December 2020, after eight months of negotiations, the EU and the UK signed the
EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which governs bilateral relations since its provisional entry into force two days later and which was later ratified by both parties. UK government attempts to unilaterally reject the terms of the agreed
Northern Ireland Protocol have exacerbated post-Brexit relations. Although the United Kingdom has maintained strong relations with some EU member states, the decision to withdraw and subsequent turbulent process of negotiating the
Trade and Cooperation Agreement sparked criticism of the United Kingdom across the EU. However, UK-EU collaborative discussions on the response to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which saw the UK invited to an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting for the first time since Brexit, and the successful negotiation of the
Windsor Framework for Northern Ireland between the UK and EU, has indicated a gradual improvement of relations over time. On 28 June 2023, the
EU and
UK signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation on financial services. Chancellor
Jeremy Hunt described the signing as a significant moment, highlighting the interconnections of the
EU and
UK financial markets. The agreement establishes a forum for regular discussions on voluntary regulatory cooperation. However, it does not indicate regulatory alignment or address specific demands from the
EU. Of the 1,218,000 immigrants who
came to the United Kingdom in 2023, only 126,000 were citizens of EU member states. BBC reported that "In the 12 months to June 2023, net EU migration was -86,000, meaning more EU nationals left the UK than arrived". After Brexit, the number of EU nationals who were refused entry to the UK increased fivefold.
EU-UK 'Reset' (2024-) In its election manifesto for the 2024 general election, the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer pledged to "reset" UK-EU relations and "make Brexit work". On 2 October 2024, during talks in Brussels,
Keir Starmer and
Ursula von der Leyen emphasized their commitment to enhancing cooperation on issues such as economic growth, energy, security, and migration. They reaffirmed their dedication to the Withdrawal Agreement and international law, despite pressure from hard-line Brexiteers regarding the
European Convention on Human Rights. They planned to define areas for strengthened cooperation in the coming months and committed to regular meetings, starting with a summit early in 2025. The first formal summit since Brexit took place in May 2025 in London and concluded fresh agreements on defense cooperation and easing trade flows. In March 2025, the
Trades Union Congress called for a closer relationship with the EU, in order to reduce trade barriers and border checks and bring closer alignment of chemical and food standards. General secretary
Paul Nowak called for a "commonsense trade deal" and a new approach which respects the referendum result. In May, the TUC welcomed the government's trade reset as "an important first step" and "just the beginning" of improved links. In Autumn 2025, disagreement between the EU and UK over participation in the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) joint-procurement programme for defence resulted in the UK opting not to participate in the scheme. The EU asked the UK to pay between €4.5-6.5 billion for participation in the scheme, whereas the UK offered to pay between €200-300 million. Under SAFE provisions, no more than 35% of parts could be procured from non-EU,
EEA, or
EFTA states (except
Ukraine). On 9 December 2025, Liberal Democrat MP
Al Pinkerton introduced a bill to the
House of Commons calling for the UK government to negotiate a UK-EU Customs Union. Health Secretary
Wes Streeting and Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary
David Lammy have also spoke positively on the creation of a UK-EU Customs Union. On 17 December 2025, in a joint statement by
Maroš Šefčovič and
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK's participation in the
Erasmus+ programme from 2027 was confirmed as well as the announcement of negotiations on the participation of the UK in the EU's internal electricity market. This is alongside a commitment to the implementation of a UK-EU Youth Experience Scheme, establishing a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) area and on linking the UK and EU Emissions Trading Systems. In an interview on the BBC's
Sunday with Laura Kuenssburg on 4 January 2026, Sir Keir Starmer indicated that the UK should align with the EU Single Market "on an issue-by-issue, sector-by-sector basis" if it aligns with the UK's national interest. == Post-Brexit polling ==