UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reiterated his support for the UK’s decision to leave the EU. He also denied speculation about Britain’s possible rejoining the political union.

„Under my leadership, the UK will not seek a relationship with Europe based on alignment with EU law,” Sunak said during the annual conference of the Confederation of British Industry in Birmingham. 

„I voted for Brexit, I believe in Brexit, and I know that Brexit can deliver and is already delivering enormous benefits and opportunities for the country,” – he insisted. 

The head of the British government said that having „regulatory freedom” to deviate from the standards set by the EU is a strategic advantage for the UK. He voiced his wish to eliminate trade barriers resulting from Brexit but ruled out any Swiss-style deal with the EU, denying recent rumours which have been circulating in the media in the last few days. 

Sunak underlined that “the UK has regained control of its borders since leaving the EU” and that “many other commercial opportunities are opening up for the country.” 

 “The UK also wants to use its 'post-Brexit freedom’ to create an innovation-friendly environment, for example, for life sciences, financial services, and artificial intelligence” – he concluded. 

According to a recent survey conducted by YouGov, 56% of Britons think that the UK shouldn’t have left the EU, while only 32% believe it was the right decision. The GB news poll obtained similar results, which showed that 55% of Brits would vote against Brexit if given the chance.

In the Brexit referendum of June 2016, the “leave” option obtained the majority, with 52% of votes, while “remain” gathered 48%. As a result, the UK eventually left the EU on 1 February 2020. 

Image: Twitter (@RishiSunak)

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen