Michel Barnier, the EU's negotiator during the Brexit talks, gave a speech about Britain and Europe ten years later. The moment mattered because something important has shifted: for the first time since the Brexit vote in 2016, most British people now say they made the wrong choice.

Barnier has always argued for one clear rule: security and defence should never be used as trading chips. When Britain and the EU bargain over access to markets, security should stay separate. This matters because when the UK left, it took military strength, intelligence work, and diplomatic experience that Europe relied on. The EU hasn't found a replacement. So talking about security cooperation isn't a favour — it's filling an actual gap.

How Opinion Has Shifted

Public feeling has moved sharply. A major study in June 2026 found that more than half of British voters now think leaving was a mistake. Young people are even more convinced: most Gen Z Britons say Brexit has failed. The same trend shows up in polling data — each year since the departure, more Britons have said they regret it.

Europeans are also softer toward Britain than they were. A poll published on 20 June 2026 found that many EU voters now view Britain positively. This is important because distrust of Britain in EU countries had been a quiet obstacle to closer ties; that wall looks weaker now.

The Political Problem

But there's a catch. Labour's approach to Brexit has shifted in ways that worry party leaders about losing votes from people who backed Leave. This is the trap any government faces: most voters have changed their minds, but the people who voted to leave aren't going anywhere, and they're concentrated in some seats that matter — the Midlands and the North of England where elections are decided.

Election strategy can trump public opinion. A government that moves toward Europe too fast risks losing these voters in the same way the Conservatives lost voters on the other side ten years ago.

What Barnier's Speech Really Means

Barnier is one of the few people both Britain and Brussels trust. He's back in the conversation, saying the same thing: keep security separate from trade deals. This suggests someone important thinks there's a path forward.

Here's the possibility: instead of arguing about market access and rules alignment — the things that make 'rejoining' sound scary to Leave voters — both sides could focus on a security agreement first. The EU gets the military and intelligence partnership it needs. Britain avoids the politically toxic language of rejoining anything.

Will Labour take this path before the next election? That's still up in the air. What we know is this: the opening for Britain and Europe to work more closely together is wider now than it's been since the vote. Whether politicians are brave enough to walk through it is a separate story.