Peston panel splits over EU rejoin referendum or election mandate
A TV debate weighs whether rejoining the EU needs a referendum or a general election mandate, after polling found 64% want a referendum and 23% say the government could decide.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A televised political discussion has highlighted a split over how the UK could rejoin the European Union. The debate focused on whether a fresh referendum would be needed or whether a general election mandate would be enough. The discussion followed comments from Andy Burnham, who had wanted to start a conversation about rejoining the EU or the suite of options for a future relationship. The panel noted that the issue has moved beyond his original aim.
Polling cited during the programme suggested 64% of the public believe a referendum would be needed for the UK to rejoin, while 23% agreed that the government could make the decision itself. One participant said they did not go as far as saying the government could act tomorrow and argued that the public should lead, with a manifesto commitment at a general election giving voters the final say.
Another speaker rejected the idea that this position was moderate. They argued that a referendum was necessary to reverse the referendum decision because all parties had previously held similar positions and there was still suspicion that the Conservative Party was not fully committed to Brexit. Without a referendum, they warned, political disillusionment would rise further.
The opposing view focused on trust in the public through a general election. A speaker said most people who voted for Brexit do not believe it has delivered what they were promised. They said voters were over-promised or lied to, and that many politicians responsible for Brexit have since left the stage, with Nigel Farage presented as the main figure still held accountable. On that basis, they argued the public should be heard through a general election.
The discussion also covered how a mandate would work. One participant said a party could stand at an election on a promise to try to rejoin the EU and, if elected, claim a mandate to do so. Another said Brexiteers do not trust MPs to decide, pointing to delays after the original Brexit vote, and insisted that any reversal would have to be put to a referendum. The programme concluded that the argument is likely to continue.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A speaker argued that a general election manifesto commitment would allow the public to decide on rejoining the EU. | |
| Another speaker argued that a referendum is needed to reverse the original referendum decision, warning that political disillusionment would worsen otherwise. | |
| YouGov polling found 64% believed a referendum would be required for the UK to rejoin the EU, while 23% believed the government could decide itself. | Reported by ITV |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The segment framed the story as a live political argument over process, using a YouGov poll to test whether the public want a referendum or accept a government decision. Its tone was combative and presenter-led, with panellists challenging each other on trust, mandates and the legacy of the original Brexit vote. It also referenced Andy Burnham's attempt to start a wider conversation about rejoining the EU or a future relationship.
- “64 percent of the public do think that a referendum would be needed and just 23 agree with you that the government can make the decision itself”
- “my point is of course we let the public the public lead us so therefore we have it in a manifesto at the general election and the public can decide”
- “you have to have a referendum to reverse the referendum decision otherwise the kind of disillusionment that we already have in politics will take off to another level”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.