And reading Chris this week, you can't escape the feeling that Brexit has become a weird perversion of the postmodern idea that everything becomes sex in the end.

In Brexitania, everything becomes minutiae, becomes trivia, becomes unserious, in a serious world.

Do read 👇

However, at least as reported, the discussions to date are being driven by thinking in Germany and France in particular, and it is difficult to see how such a development could be separated from EU initiatives to boost the capacity of its defence industries. More generally, it is hard to doubt that the centre of gravity of influence and decision-making of a ‘European NATO’ would be the EU simply because the bulk of the countries involved would be members of both. Almost inevitably that would fall foul of the kind of sentiments expressed in the Mail editorial and, indeed, the idea is already being reported in The Sun as “Europe’s secret plan” – not, admittedly outright Brussels-bashing, but certainly there is no suggestion in the report that this plan is something the UK is, could, or should be involved in. At all events, the prospect of a British government making a whole-hearted commitment to this, or any other version of a regional security alliance, seems remote for so long as the

Why is Brexitism still such a potent idea, despite the increasingly obvious weaknesses - and hostility to Britain - of global far-right populist?

Chris Grey gives the answer.

Can the UK get past this delusion?

Did I mention, the euro is bloody brilliant?

Some facts, UK:
- The euro is great for users
- Adherence to monetary union is part of the initial criteria for membership applicants
- It is a central part of European unity
- The far right will make unity about the euro
- Europe needs commitment for trust

So, don't wait. Make the case today. €

Nobody votes "don't know" in a referendum.

Remove that and it's ~65%.

But 53% Rejoin means that even if the entire "don't know" bloc votes Stay Out (vanishingly unlikely), Rejoin still wins.

My issue with such polls is they don't emphasise possible €uro membership.

You may think we'll get an opt-out again and it's therefore of reduced relevance, but (a) there's no guarantee of that, especially with our history; (b) you can be damn sure Brexiters will bang about the €uro relentlessly.

You were too young? Funny, I was in the middle of my thesis and had to pivot when it clear it was struggling. That was a hard meeting.

There won't be an option. They'll have to make the case eventually

@davidheniguk.bsky.social has said as much

bsky.app/profile/nial...

Far more pressing today than in 1962

I thought @pimlicat.bsky.social gave a good explanation of the thinking and evolution on @quietriotpod.bsky.social

On a personal level, however, I felt for her. She is obviously relieved not to be backing Brexity positions anymore.

Quite good, yes. I thought the explanation for waiting was weak - years have been wasted and they're only going to start making the case for Europe today, and having achieved so little.

However, the argument about why rejoin and not something else was well made and will be a hard case to refute.

I dreamed of being in Schengen for years before the idiots voted to cut us off from the rest of Europe completely. If we have to be in Schengen, if we have to use the Euro to rejoin then that’s miles better than being isolated and poor.

Really is

Irish men and Irish women, if yr not searching the just released 1926 census of Ireland wtf is wrong with you? I just discovered that a paternal grand aunt was an Irish speaker, which means my grandfather likely was too but cdn't be arsed to write it down. nationalarchives.ie/collections/...

Me too. I do worry about UK youth, however.

One of the things that saddens me most about Britain’s leaving the EU is that there are many British adults now, aged 18–27, embarking on careers pre-stunted by Brexit in ways they couldn’t even appreciate, never having experienced adult life in the EU and the cultural richness that it brings.

Can't see the post

Ha!

But yes. We live in hope. Keep calling it out. The Exceptionalism needs help to become extinct. You do that very very well. I hope in 20 years there will be an exhibition in a zoo or museum in London full of people with red faces shouting about Brussels and betrayal.

The only thing I really object to is the suggestion that somehow the UK can remain aloof from the EU but still get those benefits. This has been the UK's foreign policy goal for 75 years but it hasn't worked, and it won't work now. The UK is completely free to choose, but it *is* is a choice.

It’s being cultivated more or less deliberately as a way of ‘defending Brexit’. It’s not new (I remember my dad, in the 60s, jocularly substituting ‘dollar’ for ‘pound’, looking to Hollywood film stars rather than British etc) so there’s plenty for the modern Americophile to leverage.

As I've said, I think the opposite in some ways, once people are prepared to make the case, which they're not

Is it time to talk about EU membership? The future of UK-EU relations Best for Britiain report April 2026

Best for Britain has brought out a new report on the future of Euro-British relations. This is certainly a big departure for them from their previous legitimation of the May-Johnson redlines.

It calls for an application to join Europe

(well, not exactly, see down)

A 🧵
www.bestforbritain.o...

Businesses loose out on exchange rates… the only winners are the banks! If it means we can rejoin, bring on the euro!

Not for me!
Join it all, Schengen, Euro, etc, etc

Let’s become a central member and have a say in how things move forwards

Indeed.

When people from the UK talk about joining the EU they almost always talk about trade (the EU saving their economy) it is as if they haven’t realised or don’t care that the EU is about so much more than that (it always was about more than just the economy).

He had a knack, no question

Fair enough Niall.
One of the irritating things about Johnson was that he could tell a political story well, and that seems to be missing from any join argument. I would like to see a narrative that includes peace, cooperation, not just prosperity.
I miss being part of the European team.