Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has called for the UK to rejoin the European Union (EU), warning that the bloc is at risk of collapse without urgent reforms.
Speaking on the Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast, the ex-Liberal Democrat leader said Brexit had severely damaged the UK economy and left the nation increasingly isolated on the global stage.
“Economic growth literally went into reverse the moment Brexit happened,” said Clegg, who now serves as President of Global Affairs at Meta. “Clearly, the United Kingdom needs to go back. You can’t defy geography.”
Clegg also pointed to the election of Donald Trump as a critical factor, suggesting that the US president-elect holds little regard for the historic “special relationship” between the UK and US.
“As Donald Trump has said multiple times, he does not have any instinctive affection for the Transatlantic Alliance,” Clegg noted, highlighting the urgency for the UK to realign itself with Europe.
However, Clegg emphasised that the future of the EU itself will play a decisive role in whether the UK can rejoin.
“The European Union is at a real pivotal moment. It’s going to either reform or die,” he said.
Clegg argued that meaningful reforms within the EU would make re-entry an obvious choice for the UK.
“If it reforms, as I hope it will, it’ll become so flamingly obvious over the next several years that the United Kingdom belongs there,” he stated.
Drawing on his experience working in Silicon Valley, Clegg likened the situation to “fundamental physics,” suggesting the UK is destined to seek a rapprochement with the EU.
“My engineer friends in Silicon Valley often talk about the fundamental physics of any situation. The United Kingdom will, in one shape or form, have to architect a re-entry into the European Union,” he said.
Clegg’s remarks reflect a growing debate about the long-term implications of Brexit, particularly as the UK grapples with economic challenges and its place in an evolving geopolitical landscape.
Whether or not the EU implements reforms that could make such a return viable remains to be seen.
