The country is angry, divided and frustrated. We must hear their call for change and show what we stand for – nowhere is the need for this bravery clearer than in our future with Europe. 

For jobs, for public services and for our national defence, the change this country needs is impossible if we stay trapped in the failed Brexit deal negotiated by the last government. The world has changed so much in the last six weeks, let alone since the 2024 election. And with Trump, Putin and the authoritarian right in power around the world it will change again.

The time has come for a radical shift in Labour’s approach to negotiating a new deal with the European Union. Refusing to join a customs union, the single market or renegotiate freedom of movement leaves the UK dangerously unable to secure our national security or economic interests. It's time to rip up the red lines.

We are calling on the Prime Minister:

• To announce at the upcoming UK-EU summit that the Labour government will rip up its red lines on Europe and seek a new deal in the national interest
• To support the creation of a new body in Parliament to provide democratic oversight of our relationship with the EU

You can join this campaign by:

• Proposing motions in your local Labour Party branch or CLP: download a template here
• Making submissions to the National Policy Forum and 2026 Labour Party Conference
• Sharing our campaign to Rip up the Red Lines with your friends and family, and on social media. Download the campaign image here

Why we need a new approach

Nearly a decade since this country voted to leave the EU, none of the promises of the Leave campaign have been kept. We are not richer, we are not stronger, and we have not taken back control of our destiny.

Brexit has cut growth by 4-8%, harming jobs, public services and defence spending.

Since this Labour government took office in 2024, the United States under President Trump has imposed tariffs on the UK and EU, threatened NATO territory, undermined Ukraine, supported right-wing populists in Europe, and caused a global energy crisis.

The challenges facing this country are best faced by Europe standing together with the UK at its heart.

From Putin’s bloody attacks on Ukraine, to an unreliable America, to a rising China, we have the strength to stand up for our values and for a better world – but only if we work in solidarity, not isolation.

The Labour government’s reset with the EU has made real progress. Through deals on food, drink and energy, and through the new bill on alignment with single market rules, we will cut some of the red tape stifling business with our largest trading partner.

But these deals, valued at a 0.3% boost to GDP by 2040, are not enough. We must go much further.

The Prime Minister has said he wants the UK to align more closely to Europe. Yet the government’s self-imposed red lines – of no return to the EU, the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement – make any fundamental change in our relationship impossible.

Give Parliament Back Control

We know that restoring our place in Europe will not be quick or easy. We can’t just make demands: we need to listen to what our European partners want, too. That’s why the first step is to stop negotiating without one hand tied behind our backs, and rip up the red lines.

We also know that major changes to our relationship with the EU will require serious scrutiny and debate. Yet since the beginning of this Parliament in 2024, the House of Commons no longer has a committee dedicated to scrutinising EU issues.

With the government soon to introduce legislation on aligning to single market rules, this is a serious democratic deficit. The House of Commons needs a mechanism for regular scrutiny of EU policy, laws and rules.

That’s why our campaign to rip up the red lines also comes with a call for the government to support the creation of a new House of Commons Committee on European issues.

How you can help

We need you to support this campaign by sharing this page with your friends and family, and on social media. Click here to download the campaign image.

Click here to download a model motion to submit to your next Labour Party branch or CLP meeting – in May or June – with our call to rip up the red lines.

We also encourage CLPs to make submissions to the National Policy Forum and to the 2026 Labour Party Conference. If you would like our help in designing these, please write to organiser [at] labourmovementforeurope.uk

With Reform surging in the polls, it is more urgent than ever to show what a Labour government can achieve, together with our partners in Europe. We know we can count on your support in this fight.