“It would make it easier for British companies to trade, collaborate and hire, and it would help restore the confidence international investors once had in the UK as a gateway to Europe."
More than 17,000 people have put their name to a petition urging the UK government to pursue membership of the European single market, arguing that doing so would give British businesses a stronger and more stable trading relationship with Europe.
The petition was launched by the European Movement UK, a cross-party organisation campaigning for closer ties between the UK and its European neighbours. It argues that leaving the single market has been a “catastrophe” for many UK businesses, citing increased trade barriers, additional checks and paperwork, delays at borders, and the loss of investment, growth, and jobs. It also warns that the UK is increasingly diverging from the rules and standards of its largest trading partner.
The European single market is the world’s largest integrated trading bloc. It brings together all 27 member states of the European Union, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland through related agreements. Established in January 1993, it allows for the free movement of goods, services, capital and people, treating the area as a single market for economic purposes.
The UK left the single market on December 31, 2020, at the end of the transition period following the Brexit referendum. Since then, businesses have faced new regulatory and administrative requirements when trading with EU countries.
According to the petition, rejoining the single market would significantly reduce friction at the border and make it easier for British companies to trade, collaborate and recruit across Europe. The campaign says it is seeking to amplify the voices of small and medium-sized enterprises, which it argues have been “ignored for a decade” in debates over the UK’s economic relationship with Europe.
“It would make it easier for British companies to trade, collaborate and hire, and it would help restore the confidence international investors once had in the UK as a gateway to Europe,” the petition states. “This is not about reopening old arguments, it is about choosing what works best for our economy now and for the generations to come.”
The campaigners also note how the political climate is shifting. Earlier this year, Keir Starmer said he wants to take the UK deeper into the European Union single market, if Brussels will let him.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to China, the PM said he wanted to “go further” in aligning with the European market where it is “in our national interest.”
The petition calls on the government to move towards membership of both the single market and a customs union with the EU. It also argues that any negotiated arrangement should include freedom of movement and that small and medium-sized businesses must play a central role in shaping the UK’s future engagement with Europe.
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