https://www.theguardian.com/politics/eu-referendum Latest news and features from theguardian.com, the world's leading liberal voice en-gb Guardian News &amp; Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:14:59 GMT 2026-04-18T04:14:59Z en-gb Guardian News &amp; Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 https://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.png https://www.theguardian.com https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/half-britons-support-rejoining-eu-10-years-brexit-vote <p>Experts say Labour’s ‘halfway house’ approach risks losing support from progressives and ‘red wall’ voters</p><p>Support for rejoining the EU rather than simply rejoining the single market is growing among British voters, with more than 80% of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party supporters favouring this option, according to research mapping voter attitudes 10 years after the Brexit referendum.</p><p>Labour’s “muted” approach to the issue means it risks losing support among progressive voters and in “red wall” constituencies, experts have said as part of <a href="https://www.bestforbritain.org/is_time_eu_membership">research</a> by Best for Britain.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/half-britons-support-rejoining-eu-10-years-brexit-vote">Continue reading...</a> Brexit Politics UK news European Union Europe Labour Foreign policy Trade policy Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:27:21 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/half-britons-support-rejoining-eu-10-years-brexit-vote Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock Lisa O’Carroll 2026-04-17T13:27:21Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/woman-dusseldorf-uk-home-office-return-flight-blocked <p>Liza Tobay was told settled status had been ‘red flagged’ when she tried to fly home from Germany to Scotland</p><p>A German woman has been separated from her two-year-old daughter in Edinburgh after a Home Office mistake left her stranded in Dusseldorf earlier this week.</p><p>Liza Tobay, who has lived in the UK for 15 years, had taken her oldest child, a six-year-old boy, to visit his grandfather and some other relatives over Easter when confronted with what she said appeared to be “a serious administrative error”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/woman-dusseldorf-uk-home-office-return-flight-blocked">Continue reading...</a> Home Office Brexit UK news Germany World news Europe Politics Migration European Union Foreign policy Edinburgh Scotland Passport Office Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:00:22 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/woman-dusseldorf-uk-home-office-return-flight-blocked Photograph: Liza Tobay/Copyright: Liza Tobay family Photograph: Liza Tobay/Copyright: Liza Tobay family Photograph: Liza Tobay/Copyright: Liza Tobay family Lisa O’Carroll 2026-04-17T06:00:22Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/16/a-decade-on-from-brexit-britain-still-flounders-without-a-place-in-the-world <p><strong>Raj Parkash</strong> and <strong>Chris Manners </strong>on the lasting impact of the UK’s decision in 2016 to leave the EU</p><p>Perhaps the saddest consequence of Brexit is that it has left the UK a profoundly unhappy country (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/09/ten-years-brexit-uk-divided-country">Ten years after Brexit, this is the UK: a divided nation frozen in time, 9 April</a>). For Brexit supporters, the dream of a proud, independent Britain able to direct its own destiny in the world is nowhere near fulfilled, as if it ever could be. And they continue to grasp at the nearest proximate cause – an “invasion” of immigrants undermining British identity and draining its resources. For those who wished to remain, Brexit has left them unmoored from the security of membership of a grouping that gave them an identity and clear position in the world.</p><p>Unfortunately, that unhappiness is now exacerbated by the state of the world outside the UK. The US has upended the entire global institutional structure such that there is no certainty to be had as to how to operate in the world. And the EU seems incapable of forging a coherent identity that could forge a path through this morass. So we are left floundering without a place in the world, with the options for alignment and partnership unattractive and equally uncertain. One thing however is for sure – seeking refuge in the empty sloganeering of Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski is not the answer.<br><strong>Raj Parkash</strong> <br><em>London</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/16/a-decade-on-from-brexit-britain-still-flounders-without-a-place-in-the-world">Continue reading...</a> Brexit European Union Politics Foreign policy Nigel Farage Zack Polanski Europe Labour Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:49:24 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/16/a-decade-on-from-brexit-britain-still-flounders-without-a-place-in-the-world Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Guardian Staff 2026-04-16T15:49:24Z https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/for-keir-starmer-to-talk-of-national-resilience-and-ignore-nature-is-absurd <p>Responding to an article by the PM, <strong>Caroline Lucas </strong>says he must be clearer about climate risks, <strong>Molly Scott Cato</strong> says we must reverse Brexit and <strong>Dr Victor Ajuwon </strong>applauds Labour’s directness. Plus, letters by <strong>Toby Harris </strong>and<strong> Dr Tracey Elliott</strong></p><p>Keir Starmer’s warning that the UK should not be at the mercy of events abroad is well made (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/09/iran-war-britain-allies-europe-energy-social-policies">The Iran war is a warning: Britain must build resilience – at home and with our allies in Europe, 9 April</a>), but would carry more weight were he to level with the British public about the full breadth of the crises we face. It is extraordinary that nowhere in an article devoted to resilience did he find space to include the growing threat posed to the UK by the dramatic decline in the health of&nbsp;nature around the world. It is even more extraordinary – and, frankly, unforgivable – given that his own intelligence chiefs at the joint intelligence committee (JIC) have recently spelled it out for him&nbsp;in no uncertain terms.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/20/biodiversity-collapse-threatens-uk-security-intelligence-chiefs-warn">a report</a> that the government shamefully sought first to suppress and then to redact, so that some of the most alarming warnings <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/article/4a1c136c-f01d-4ecd-abfd-14621b47ea45">were removed</a>, the JIC warned of “cascading risks” from the degradation of some of the planet’s most important ecosystems, including conflict, increased competition for resources and economic shocks. Six ecosystems “critical for UK national security” are all “on a pathway to collapse”, some potentially within five years – in other words, they face “irreversible loss of function beyond repair”. The UK’s heavy reliance on food and fertiliser imports means our food security is particularly at risk, threatening food shortages, higher prices and civil unrest.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/for-keir-starmer-to-talk-of-national-resilience-and-ignore-nature-is-absurd">Continue reading...</a> Climate crisis Keir Starmer Caroline Lucas Defence policy UK news Politics Brexit Fossil fuels Green economy Environment European Union Foreign policy Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:05:25 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/for-keir-starmer-to-talk-of-national-resilience-and-ignore-nature-is-absurd Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA Guardian Staff 2026-04-15T17:05:25Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/15/brexit-delusion-keir-starmer-europe-prime-minister <p>To rebuild relations with Europe in a dangerous world, the prime minister needs to win big arguments, not hide behind outdated red lines</p><p>In opposition, Keir Starmer pushed Brexit to the margin of debate. In government, he has learned that Europe is central to Britain’s interests whether you talk about it or not. The avoidance of painful arguments from the past turns out to be a handicap when making plans for the future.</p><p>This was predictable. Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto pretended that Brexit was a historical event. It was something Boris Johnson got “done” in 2020, in fulfilment of his winning campaign pledge from the previous year. The terms could be tweaked, but Starmer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/mar/30/the-eu-quandary-labours-efforts-to-build-good-relations-and-keep-red-lines">promised to preserve the substance</a>. That was an indulgence of public fatigue with the whole issue, made electorally expedient by fear of offending former Labour supporters who had voted leave in the referendum.</p><p>Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist</p><p><strong>Guardian Newsroom: Can Labour come back from the brink?<br></strong>On Thursday 30 April, join Gaby Hinsliff, Zoe Williams, Polly Toynbee and Rafael Behr as they discuss how much of a threat Labour faces from the Green party and Reform UK – and whether Keir Starmer can survive as leader. Book tickets <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events/2026/feb/03/guardian-newsroom-can-labour-come-back-from-the-brink">here</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/15/brexit-delusion-keir-starmer-europe-prime-minister">Continue reading...</a> Brexit European Union Keir Starmer Politics UK news Nigel Farage Boris Johnson Foreign policy International trade Europe Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:03 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/15/brexit-delusion-keir-starmer-europe-prime-minister Illustration: Bill Bragg/The Guardian Illustration: Bill Bragg/The Guardian Illustration: Bill Bragg/The Guardian Rafael Behr 2026-04-15T09:00:03Z https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/apr/15/is-the-eu-back-in-vogue-podcast <p>Lisa O’Carroll reports on the ‘resetting’ of the relationship between the UK and the EU</p><p>This week, the Guardian reported that Labour is planning to bring in new legislation that will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/12/britain-single-market-rules-uk-eu-reset">forge closer ties between the UK and the EU</a>. Nearly 10 years on from the Brexit vote, the Guardian’s senior correspondent <strong>Lisa O’Carroll</strong> speaks to <strong>Helen Pidd</strong> about what a UK-EU reset would look like.</p><p>Lisa and Helen also discuss the strength of the EU in the wake of Viktor Orbán’s defeat in the Hungary elections on Sunday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/apr/15/is-the-eu-back-in-vogue-podcast">Continue reading...</a> Keir Starmer European Union Brexit Labour Politics UK news Europe Foreign policy Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:00:55 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/apr/15/is-the-eu-back-in-vogue-podcast Photograph: Omar Havana/AP Photograph: Omar Havana/AP Photograph: Omar Havana/AP Presented by Helen Pidd with Lisa O’Carroll; produced by Tom Glasser, Joe Pinner and Ross Burns; executive producer Elizabeth Cassin 2026-04-15T02:00:55Z https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/14/uk-woman-fears-being-stranded-spain-new-home-office-border-rules <p>Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa was refused boarding on flight to London because she was not aware of the rule change</p><p>A British woman has told how she fears being stranded in Spain for months after being refused boarding a on flight back home to London because she was not aware of new Home Office border rules.</p><p>Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa, 26, was born in the UK to a British father and a Spanish mother, but because of archaic laws she was not entitled automatically to British citizenship because her parents were not married. Other women born to unmarried parents have called the rules <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/06/illegitimacy-tax-new-uk-border-rules-for-dual-nationals-throwing-lives-into-chaos">an “illegitimacy tax”</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/14/uk-woman-fears-being-stranded-spain-new-home-office-border-rules">Continue reading...</a> UK news Home Office Brexit Passport Office Politics Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:33:34 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/14/uk-woman-fears-being-stranded-spain-new-home-office-border-rules Photograph: Nick Cochrane Photograph: Nick Cochrane Photograph: Nick Cochrane Lisa O’Carroll 2026-04-14T17:33:34Z https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/14/uk-steel-exports-eu-risk-tariffs-quotas <p>Decision to reduce duty-free quotas by 47% aimed at curbing Chinese imports</p><p>The EU is to go ahead with plans to double tariffs and halve quotas on imports of steel from July, in a move designed to curb Chinese imports but which could damage UK exports to the bloc.</p><p>The decision by EU lawmakers and member states after late night talks on Monday, will reduce duty-free quotas by 47%. Exact country allocations have yet to be determined.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/14/uk-steel-exports-eu-risk-tariffs-quotas">Continue reading...</a> Steel industry International trade Business Europe Tariffs China UK news Brexit European Union Economics Politics Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:53:35 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/14/uk-steel-exports-eu-risk-tariffs-quotas Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA Lisa O’Carroll 2026-04-14T13:53:35Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/keir-starmer-defends-plan-for-closer-alignment-with-eu-rules <p>PM says lessons must be learned from shocks to cost of living as government plans to align with bloc’s rules by default</p><p>The economic and security benefits of a closer relationship with the EU are “simply too big to ignore”, Keir Starmer has told parliament as the British government prepares for more rapid alignment with European rules.</p><p>Updating MPs on the Iran conflict and his visit to the Gulf last week, the prime minister was explicit about what he argued was the need for renewed ties with Europe given the chaotic global situation and Donald Trump’s unpredictable US administration.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/keir-starmer-defends-plan-for-closer-alignment-with-eu-rules">Continue reading...</a> Brexit Trade policy Keir Starmer European Union UK news Politics Foreign policy Europe World news Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:33:57 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/keir-starmer-defends-plan-for-closer-alignment-with-eu-rules Photograph: Thomas Krych/Reuters Photograph: Thomas Krych/Reuters Photograph: Thomas Krych/Reuters Peter Walker and Alexandra Topping 2026-04-13T17:33:57Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/nige-and-zia-plan-boriswave-traitors-gulag <p>Farage and sidekick are still sore about how the Tories handled Brexit, although new mates Braverman and Jenrick are forgiven</p><p>The Reform UK press conference began a little behind schedule. Time in which Nigel Farage had gathered Zia Yusuf and a few others into a circle for a two-minute silence. A moment to reflect on the sad news from Hungary that Viktor Orbán’s 16 years as prime minister had <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/13/viktor-orban-europe-hungary-democracy-peter-magyar-victory">come to a premature end</a>. Orbán had had so much more to give the world. There would be no one left in the EU to block the €90bn loan to Ukraine. Will there be no one to think of Russia’s brave struggles against the west? It was a tragedy. The end of an era. Nige would now have to go it alone.</p><p>There’s a law of diminishing returns to these Reform press conferences. We now get two or three of them a week, each one promising to be of national importance. The reality is that they are no more than a chance for Farage to indulge his narcissism and get himself on camera once more. It’s the only time he feels truly alive. But the audiences are dwindling. They are no longer “must-screen” events for the main news channels. Reform’s idea of importance is the broadcasters’ idea of eminently missable. You can see the desperation in Nige’s eyes. He is in danger of becoming last year’s news.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/nige-and-zia-plan-boriswave-traitors-gulag">Continue reading...</a> Reform UK Politics UK news Nigel Farage Boris Johnson Kemi Badenoch Conservatives Brexit Foreign policy Immigration and asylum Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:17:44 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/nige-and-zia-plan-boriswave-traitors-gulag Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images John Crace 2026-04-13T17:17:44Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/apr/13/iran-war-keir-starmer-brexit-trump-strait-hormuz-oil-fuel-southport-latest-news-updates <p>The home secretary made the comments after an inquiry revealed that the system ‘completely failed’</p><p><strong>Keir Starmer</strong> has confirmed that he wants to stop children being exposed to addictive scrolling features on their phones as part of measures to protect them from social media.</p><p>The PM is under pressure to implement an Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s, and the government<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/16/social-media-restrictions-keir-starmer-announced"> is consulting</a> on whether to go ahead with a full ban, or whether to just impose more specific restrictions.</p><p>It’s not a question of if we do something, it’s what we do.</p><p>The addictive scrolling mechanisms are really problematic to my mind, they need to go.</p><p>Despite some lower-income households receiving a long-overdue real-terms increase in their benefits, we now estimate – based on market-forecasts for the rise in energy prices consistent with market pricing after the announcement of a ceasefire – that average income growth for the poorest fifth this year is now set to be just 1.2 per cent, down from 2.8 per cent before the conflict.</p><p>The picture is brighter for families in the bottom half of the income distribution with three or more children. Even after the inflation shock, the abolition of the two-child limit is estimated to deliver 7.7 per cent income growth for this group this year – compared to 0.0 per cent for poorer families with fewer than three children.</p><p>Despite hopes for a sustained peace, the path of this conflict remains uncertain and energy prices remain well above pre-war levels, meaning many households face a decline in their purchasing power this year.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/apr/13/iran-war-keir-starmer-brexit-trump-strait-hormuz-oil-fuel-southport-latest-news-updates">Continue reading...</a> Politics UK news Keir Starmer Labour Reform UK Conservatives US-Israel war on Iran Foreign policy Donald Trump Iran Trade policy European Union Brexit Local elections 2026 Nigel Farage Richard Tice Immigration and asylum Migration Cryptocurrencies Viktor Orbán Scotland Scottish politics Your Party Wes Streeting Health Ed Davey Israel West Bank Southport attack Shabana Mahmood Chris Philp Financial Conduct Authority Anas Sarwar Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:16:06 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/apr/13/iran-war-keir-starmer-brexit-trump-strait-hormuz-oil-fuel-southport-latest-news-updates Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images Andrew Sparrow 2026-04-13T17:16:06Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/what-new-eu-bill-uk-ministers-henry-viii-type-powers <p>Legislation would allow government to implement evolving single market rules without full parliamentary scrutiny</p><p>Ministers in Britain are planning a new bill that would bring into force a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/05/labour-back-down-foie-gras-fur-bans-eu-trade-deal">food and drink trade deal with the EU</a> but also contain powers enabling the government to “dynamically align” with Europe. It would allow the UK to quickly implement evolving single market rules if it determines it is in the national interest, without having to face full parliamentary scrutiny.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/what-new-eu-bill-uk-ministers-henry-viii-type-powers">Continue reading...</a> Trade policy Politics Keir Starmer UK news European Union Europe Economic policy Brexit Foreign policy Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:35:18 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/what-new-eu-bill-uk-ministers-henry-viii-type-powers Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor 2026-04-13T12:35:18Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/10/home-office-starts-crackdown-on-eu-citizens-post-brexit-rights-to-live-in-uk <p>Concerns raised over use of travel data in determining if people are ‘continuously’ in Britain after HMRC fiasco</p><p>UK ministers are to start removing post-Brexit residency rights from EU citizens who are no longer “continuously” living in the country.</p><p>The initiative is legal under the 2020 Brexit withdrawal agreement, but the decision to use travel data to partly determine absences has raised concerns after the HMRC fiasco in which almost <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/16/inquiry-hmrc-anti-fraud-scheme-wrongly-cut-child-benefits">20,000 parents were stripped of child benefits</a> because of inaccurate Home Office border data.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/10/home-office-starts-crackdown-on-eu-citizens-post-brexit-rights-to-live-in-uk">Continue reading...</a> Brexit Immigration and asylum Home Office UK news Politics European Union Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:44:34 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/10/home-office-starts-crackdown-on-eu-citizens-post-brexit-rights-to-live-in-uk Photograph: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Getty Images Photograph: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Getty Images Photograph: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Getty Images Lisa O’Carroll 2026-04-11T12:44:34Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/09/ten-years-brexit-uk-divided-country <p>Tribalism has not faded over the past decade. Instead, new research reveals our politics has become ever-more polarised and fractious</p><p>On <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/24/britain-votes-for-brexit-eu-referendum-david-cameron">23 June 2016</a>, the British voter changed. Before that day, they picked a party, usually red or blue. By that morning, only two tribes mattered: remain or leave. And they kept mattering long, long after the result was declared. Rather than bin those short-lived and now stale allegiances, voters made them their personas. No longer a “Labour man” or a “Conservative family”, they became instead “remoaners” or “Brexiters”. Even today, 60% of Britons still identify themselves by where they scrawled a single cross in a one-off poll 10 years ago.</p><p>Ask about the difference Brexit has made and the answer normally concerns policy or high politics: how our economic trajectory has become bumpier, or how the Tories keep getting into punch-ups with each other. But it became so much bigger than Boris v Dave. The civil war blazed through the country, and recruited nearly all of us to one side or the other. The effects still ripple through our elections and media today.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/09/ten-years-brexit-uk-divided-country">Continue reading...</a> Brexit European Union Politics David Cameron Reform UK UK news Europe Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:00:22 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/09/ten-years-brexit-uk-divided-country Illustration: Nate Kitch/The Guardian Illustration: Nate Kitch/The Guardian Illustration: Nate Kitch/The Guardian Aditya Chakrabortty 2026-04-09T05:00:22Z https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/apr/07/a-marmalade-dropper-for-paddington-bear <p><strong>Mónica Joyce Moniz</strong> on the origins of marmalade. Plus letters from <strong>Tony Batcup</strong> and <strong>Mark de Brunner</strong></p><p>As a Portuguese-British citizen, I feel it is my duty to add to your explainer article (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/breakfast-reset-will-marmalade-really-be-renamed-in-post-brexit-food-deal">Keir Starmalade, anyone? Will marmalade really have to be rebranded in UK?, 4 April</a>) and explain where the word marmalade originated from. Marmalade comes from the fruit <em>marmelo</em> (quince). And marmalade was and is quince jam in Portugal. This jam began to be exported to England at the end of the 15th century. Only in the 17th century did the English start to apply the word marmalade to orange jam. As with many quintessential British things like tea, the English adopted it and made it their own. I like this story because my two countries are represented.<br><strong>Mónica Joyce Moniz</strong><br><em>Wyton, Cambridgeshire</em></p><p>• Your article about the alleged rebranding of marmalade made me smile – it has always been incorrectly named. As it comes from <em>Citrus x aurantium</em>, and not <em>Citrus x sinensis</em>, it should be known as bitter orange marmalade – perhaps the EU and the UK can save the bitter talk for other more important differences?<br><strong>Tony Batcup</strong><br><em>Las Condes, Santiago, Chile</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/apr/07/a-marmalade-dropper-for-paddington-bear">Continue reading...</a> Food European Union Brexit Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:58:32 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/apr/07/a-marmalade-dropper-for-paddington-bear Photograph: Design Pics/Alamy Photograph: Design Pics/Alamy Photograph: Design Pics/Alamy Guardian Staff 2026-04-07T16:58:32Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/06/labour-should-hold-a-referendum-on-whether-britain-should-rejoin-the-eu <p>This bold step would provide a practical route for restoring the UK to its rightful place within the EU, says <strong>Prof Philip Murphy</strong></p><p>The prime minister’s comments about seeking closer relations with the EU are to be welcomed as a step in the right direction (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/uk-needs-ambitious-new-eu-ties-amid-iran-war-starmer-says">Starmer calls for ‘ambitious’ new UK-EU ties as Trump threatens to quit Nato, 1 April</a>). Yet a piecemeal approach to repairing the damage done by Brexit is unlikely to succeed.</p><p>A genuinely “ambitious” plan would be for Labour to announce a referendum on whether the UK should open negotiations on re-entry to the EU, promising a general election to secure a mandate to implement the proposal should the British public vote in favour. It would allow the government to seize the initiative,&nbsp;providing it with an issue&nbsp;around which to rally a broad&nbsp;base of electoral support.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/06/labour-should-hold-a-referendum-on-whether-britain-should-rejoin-the-eu">Continue reading...</a> Brexit European Union Politics Foreign policy Labour Keir Starmer Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:46:21 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/06/labour-should-hold-a-referendum-on-whether-britain-should-rejoin-the-eu Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA Guardian Staff 2026-04-06T16:46:21Z https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/breakfast-reset-will-marmalade-really-be-renamed-in-post-brexit-food-deal <p>Britain is reportedly considering aligning with EU rules in what Daily Mail is calling the PM’s ‘breakfast reset’</p><p>The story is, in Fleet Street terminology, a marmalade dropper. The name marmalade is being dropped.</p><p>But is it?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/breakfast-reset-will-marmalade-really-be-renamed-in-post-brexit-food-deal">Continue reading...</a> European Union UK news Food Trade policy Politics Food & drink industry Europe Brexit Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:58:25 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/breakfast-reset-will-marmalade-really-be-renamed-in-post-brexit-food-deal Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA Kevin Rawlinson 2026-04-04T12:58:25Z https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/biometric-checks-stalled-again-for-cross-channel-travellers <p>Fears of Easter chaos over scaling up of new EU border system are eased, with no facial IDs for Eurotunnel and Eurostar passengers</p><p>Passengers crossing the Channel from the UK to France will not face new biometric checks in the coming weeks, despite an imminent deadline for the complete implementation of the EU’s entry-exit system (EES), ports say.</p><p>Airlines and airports across Europe have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/05/travel-industry-fears-summer-disruption-biometric-checks-controls-ees-european-borders">feared chaos</a> over the Easter holidays.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/biometric-checks-stalled-again-for-cross-channel-travellers">Continue reading...</a> European Union Brexit Eurostar Airline industry Business Europe Politics UK news France Travel & leisure Biometrics Rail transport Sat, 04 Apr 2026 08:00:17 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/biometric-checks-stalled-again-for-cross-channel-travellers Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent 2026-04-04T08:00:17Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/03/the-guardian-view-on-the-us-and-europe-the-uk-tried-to-be-a-bridge-but-trump-likes-to-burn-them <p>The president’s outbursts on allies and Nato were further confirmation that Europe cannot wait to bolster security – and Britain must play its part</p><p>“She had no more surprises for him; the unexpected in her behaviour was the only thing to expect,” Henry James wrote in his novel Daisy Miller. Leaders dealing with Donald Trump surely recognise the sentiment. James’s character was a young American out of her depth in Europe, falling victim to prejudices. Mr&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;is a real-world problem, and this time, Europe is battered by the prejudices and vengefulness of the American.</p><p>This week alone the US president has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/03/trump-claims-starmer-weak-mocks-pm-uk-aircraft-carriers-iran-war">publicly mocked the British prime minister</a> and armed forces (as weak), the French president (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/02/macron-criticises-trump-after-comments-about-his-marriage">over his marriage</a>), told allies to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/31/trump-launches-tirade-against-european-countries-not-joining-iran-war">get their own oil</a> – having set the Middle East on fire – and said <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/01/donald-trump-strongly-considering-pulling-us-out-of-nato/">leaving Nato</a> was “beyond reconsideration”. Mr Trump’s wishful thinking has hit reality in Iran, where the war that he and Benjamin Netanyahu began will not be easily ended. His resulting frustration, concern about domestic political repercussions and desire to distract the public are matched by vindictiveness towards allies who rightly refused to join in.</p><p><em><strong>Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tone/letters"> letters</a> section, please <a href="mailto:guardian.letters@theguardian.com?body=Please%20include%20your%20name,%20full%20postal%20address%20and%20phone%20number%20with%20your%20letter%20below.%20Letters%20are%20usually%20published%20with%20the%20author%27s%20name%20and%20city/town/village.%20The%20rest%20of%20the%20information%20is%20for%20verification%20only%20and%20to%20contact%20you%20where%20necessary.">click here</a>.</strong></em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/03/the-guardian-view-on-the-us-and-europe-the-uk-tried-to-be-a-bridge-but-trump-likes-to-burn-them">Continue reading...</a> Donald Trump Foreign policy European Union Brexit Politics US foreign policy Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:32:09 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/03/the-guardian-view-on-the-us-and-europe-the-uk-tried-to-be-a-bridge-but-trump-likes-to-burn-them Photograph: Alex Brandon/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Brandon/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Brandon/AFP/Getty Images Editorial 2026-04-03T16:32:09Z https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2026/apr/02/labour-mistakes-keir-starmer-podcast <p>In part one of a special two-part interview, Kiran Stacey talks to the political scientist Prof Robert Ford about Labour’s so-called ‘landslide win’, the long-lasting impact of Brexit on our politics, and the lessons that should have been learned from the 2024 election. Is it now too late for Starmer to turn things around?</p><p>Buy Prof Robert Ford’s latest book, The British General Election of 2024, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-General-Election-2024/dp/3031969405/ref=books_amazonstores_desktop_mfs_aufs_ap_sc_dsk_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=e8CtF&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.f9a1288a-66fe-4587-95f9-1387021c317b&amp;pf_rd_p=f9a1288a-66fe-4587-95f9-1387021c317b&amp;pf_rd_r=522-4869239-1794238&amp;pd_rd_wg=hoMzU&amp;pd_rd_r=a12df0cc-6ab2-48ef-8f9b-5cd000b680f2">here</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2026/apr/02/labour-mistakes-keir-starmer-podcast">Continue reading...</a> Labour Keir Starmer General election 2024 Brexit Politics Reform UK UK news Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:16 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2026/apr/02/labour-mistakes-keir-starmer-podcast Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/Reuters Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/Reuters Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/Reuters Presented by Kiran Stacey with Robert Ford, produced by Sam Gruet and Frankie Tobi, music by Axel Kacoutié; the executive producer is Maz Ebtehaj 2026-04-02T04:00:16Z