Sweden Confirms 458 Britons Deported or Forcibly Removed since Brexit

THE GUARDIAN: Scale of deportations made public for first time amid criticism of hardline approach to UK citizens

Sweden has confirmed 458 British citizens have been deported or forcibly removed by police since Brexit.

It is the first time the scale of the deportations of citizens who failed to secure residency in Sweden post-Brexit has been made public and comes amid mounting criticism of a cruel and hardline approach to Britons who had chosen to make the country their home before Brexit.

Some have been told to go after more than 25 years in the country and even vulnerable elderly people with dementia have been affected. One man was deported even though he had lived in the country since he was 10 years old. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Senior correspondent | Saturday, September 5, 2026

Michael Lambert: Why Andy Burnham Can't Save Britain without Europe

Sep 4, 2026 | Andy Burnham is widely seen as competent and decent - but can he actually turn Britain around without confronting Europe?

In this video I argue that unless Burnham faces up to Brexit, any recovery plan is doomed. From trade deals to growth to living standards, Britain is on a downward trajectory that 30 India deals won't fix.

Camilla Tominey, Ed Conway & Jenny Chapman Debate Andy Burnham's Take on Britain's "Wrong Turns"

Sep 2, 2026 | In his first appearance at the government despatch box in 16 years, Andy Burnham tells MPs he knows what's gone 'wrong' with the country - blaming the economic policies of both Tory and Labour governments since the 1980s, compounded by Brexit. Is he right? And does he have solutions to fix it? The Daily Telegraph's Camilla Tominey, Sky News's Ed Conway and Labour Peer Jenny Chapman join the Newsnight panel to discuss. Interview by Victoria Derbyshire.

Related link here »

Burnham Blames Brexit and Thatcher: Is He Right about Britain’s Problems? | Jeremy Vine

September 2, 2026 | In his first Commons address as Prime Minister, Burnham blamed both for years of low growth, saying Britain needs more substantial change on the economy and cost of living.

Supporters say he has a point. They argue Brexit damaged trade, investment and confidence, while decades of privatisation and underinvestment left Britain with weak growth, poor infrastructure and squeezed public services.

Critics say Burnham is looking backwards. They argue Margaret Thatcher left office more than 35 years ago, Brexit happened a decade ago, and the new Prime Minister now needs to focus on solutions rather than blame.

There is also the question of delivery. With bills, food prices, mortgages and energy costs still putting pressure on households, can Burnham really make people feel better off?

So is Burnham right to blame Brexit and Thatcher, or should he stop pointing to the past and prove he can fix the future?


Distance lends perspective. As a one-time huge fan of Thatcher, I have the following to say…

Margaret Thatcher was the architect of many of our economic problems today. She did some things that were very good; it’s true. But it must also be said that she harmed the British economy as well, especially by selling off so many of this country’s valuable assets. As Harold Macmillan said: Thatcher sold off the family silver. This is his actual quote:

“The sale of assets is common with individuals and states when they run into financial difficulties. …

First of all the Georgian silver goes, and then all that nice furniture that used to be in the saloon. Then the Canalettos go.” — Harold Macmillan, November 8, 1985

At the time, it seemed that she was working miracles with the UK economy, but those apparent miracles turned out to be short-term fixes — short-term dreams, but long-term nightmares.

Further, Thatcher (and her buddy, Reagan, in the States) were the root cause of the huge wealth gap that we have today.

So much for Thatcherism; so much for Reaganomics! — © Mark Alexander

The Brexit Campaign | BBC Newscast

Sep 1, 2026 | Today, we hear what it was like to be inside the leave and remain camps from those who managed the campaigns behind the scenes.

Sir Craig Oliver, who was in charge of communications for the Remain campaign, and chief executive of Vote Leave Matthew Elliott meet for the first time in the Newscast studio.

British Widow, 78, Told to Leave Sweden under Brexit Rules after Living There for 21 Years

THE GUARDIAN: Authorities say application to stay was made too late, as UK officials say Sweden takes ‘stricter approach’ than other EU countries

This screenshot has been taken from this Guardian article. | Joyce Thomas, 78, is now taking the case to a higher court. Photograph: Helena Karlsson/NWT
A 78-year-old British widow who has lived in Sweden for 21 years is fighting deportation from the country after authorities told her a post-Brexit application to stay had been submitted too late.

Her case is the latest of 2,500 British people ordered to leave the country after Brexit in what campaigners and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have said is an inexplicably hardline approach taken by the Swedish authorities. It comes two years after Sweden threatened to deport a British woman with dementia in a care home shortly before she died.

Joyce Thomas, a retired nurse, was given just four weeks to leave Sweden in November, three years after her husband had died, causing huge distress.

After being widowed, Thomas downsized with her dog to an apartment in Hammarö, which is close to her son and grandchildren, and to her husband’s grave.

She said she sometimes felt overwhelmed by the distress of what was happening. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Monday, August 10, 2026

Good God! How bloody cruel can anyone be? To throw out of the country a respectable, elderly lady is an absolute disgrace. Fie on the Swedes! — © Mark Alexander

Nick Clegg: No Other Country Has Punched Itself in the Face Like Britain

Nick Clegg speaks the truth and eminent good sense.

Alastair Campbell on Why Andy Burnham Could Succeed Where Others Failed | Talk to Al Jazeera

July 26, 2026 | Alastair Campbell, former spokesman to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, says Brexit left Britain weaker and less confident, triggering years of political instability and seven prime ministers in a decade.

He believes Andy Burnham has the empathy and leadership to turn the country around, but only if he can rebuild the economy, restore trust and lead the UK beyond the Brexit era. He warns that the Labour Party must win on its own agenda; not by trying to out-Reform Reform or out-Green the Greens.

Gibraltar Scraps Border Checks with Spain | DW News

Jul 16, 2026 | After years of post-Brexit wrangling, border checks between Spain and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar have been abolished. The move changes everyday life for some 15,000 daily commuters in Spain's far south but also sheds light on post-Brexit Europe. Jason Dittmer, Professor of Political Geography, tells DW this marks a 'new era' in relations between Gibraltar and the EU.

Sir Nick Clegg in Conversation with Geordie Greig

Jul 10, 2026 | Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg has given an exclusive Talk Show interview to The Independent editor-in-chief Geordie Greig.

Sir Nick, deputy prime minister in the 2010-15 Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government, spoke exclusively to The Independent as part of its Europe:

The Way Back campaign marks the tenth anniversary of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Sir Nick compared Brexit to a “massive cardiac arrest”.

“Much of the rest of the world has had to deal with things like Covid, wars in Ukraine, Iran and so on,” said Sir Nick. “But no other country has punched itself in the face quite so forcefully as we have done over the last 10 to 20 years.


When Nick Clegg joined the Conservatives, I voted for him. That was the very first time that I had ever voted for any party other than the Conservatives. I couldn’t vote for the Conservatives with David Cameron as its leader because he came over as being rather slippery. My misgivings about him proved to be remarkably accurate!

Even though I was raised as a Conservative, I doubt that I shall ever vote Conservative again: the Party can never ever again be trusted after the débâcle of Brexit. The Conservatives also destroyed NHS Dentistry with its never ending, but useless and ineffectual, austerity. I shall never forgive them for that, either.

It is such a pity that the LibDems don’t have a leader as pro-EU as Nick Clegg. If that were the case, I wouldn’t find myself disenfranchised as I now do. Because of David Cameron et al, this country has truly hit rock bottom. — © Mark Alexander

Sir John Major in Conversation with The Independent on the 10th Anniversary of Brexit

Jun 26, 2026 | Sir John Major has given an exclusive interview to The Independent editor-in-chief Geordie Greig, speaking about the impact of Brexit, Nigel Farage’s impact on Britain leaving the European Union, and posing a challenge to Andy Burnham if he were to become Labour leader.

The former prime minister was speaking to The Independent as part of its Europe: The Way Back campaign - launched to explore ways to rebuild Britain's future relationship with Europe.


On the question of Brexit, I agree with Sir John Major. On Kemi Badenoch, on the other hand, I most certainly do not. I am shocked by Sir John Major’s take on her. Kemi Badenoch is four-square against this country’s return to Europe. She also has a number of other whacko ideas. I would wager that the Conservative Party will never be a party that appeals to the British electorate under her leadership. Badenoch is no Margaret Thatcher! She has no mass appeal.

Moreover, how can John Major rue our leaving the European Union AND be for a leader of the Conservative Party who is such a strong Brexiteer? — © Mark Alexander

UK Will Rejoin EU by 2036, Says Former Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg

Jun 23, 2026 | Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg has predicted the UK will rejoin the European Union within the next decade, likely around 2036.

Clegg argues that Brexit has created ongoing political instability and that the country must eventually acknowledge the "catastrophic mistake" to move forward.

‘A Total, Utter Nightmare’: Small Businesses on Brexit, 10 Years On

THE GUARDIAN: Cheesemakers, farmers, exporters and wine merchants say red tape, lack of vision and rising costs mean they have stopped trading, sold up or retired early

Out of pocket, out of business, retired early. These are the tales of the “sunlit uplands” experienced by small-to-medium-sized businesses across Britain after Brexit.

Between 16,000 to 20,000 businesses stopped exporting to the EU altogether, but others who soldiered on complain Boris Johnson’s government catered for the “blue chips”, not the small, everyday companies when they designed the hard Brexit for Britain.

Cheshire cheesemaker Simon Spurrell says Brexit didn’t just leave him with a £250,000 hole in his small but fast-growing firm, but ultimately lost him his business.

Back in 2021, he described Brexit as the “biggest disaster” any government has negotiated. Looking back, nothing has changed his view.

“Brexit is the biggest self-harm that any government has inflicted on itself in recent history,” he says.

n the first few weeks of 2021, Ben Fletcher, the head of Logistics UK and then at Make UK, described Brexit as “Dante’s fifth circle of hell”.

Five years later? “We got even further down, to Dante’s seventh or eighth circle of hell, at its worst,” he says.

Spurrell was a case in point. He discovered he could no longer export his award-winning cheese to the EU because every sale, even those only worth £30, would need to be accompanied by a £180 health certificate confirming they conformed with EU standards. He sold out to a bigger company that could cope with the paperwork.

“Every small business that issues animal foodstuff – meat, cheese, dairy, eggs, even pet food – suffered massively because they didn’t have the luxury of a large organisation that could blend in the paperwork and have someone dedicated to doing that,” says Spurrell. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Senior correspondent | Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Nobody with even a basic understanding of economics would ever have voted for Brexit. Brexit is, was, and will forever be the wet dream of losers, backward-thinking people, fossils, and the mentally-challenged!

We, the people, and small and medium-sized businesses have suffered greatly as a result Brexit. People like that mouthy, self-enriching, money-grubber and charlatan, Nigel Farage, hexed this country’s economy with that ridiculous notion of regaining our sovereignty. First of all, we never lost our sovereignty in the first place; rather, we pooled it with our brethren in Europe. Second, before the talk of Brexit, I very much doubt whether the average person in the street would have been able to define sovereignty anyway! Most normal people worry about having money in their pockets to be able to enjoy life, put food on the table, and keep themselves afloat. They care little about such abstract notions as sovereignty.

For me personally, Brexit added greatly to my grief. On May 1st that year, my life’s partner had died before my very eyes; so I was already grief-stricken as it was. On the 23rd of June, that year—2016—along came the shattering result of Brexit. I burst into tears; Brexit intensified my already extremely painful heartache and grief. With the death of my American partner, I had lost my window to the West; now, because of Brexit, I had lost my window to the East as well!

I know that I am probably not in any way typical of the average Briton, but I can honestly say, hand on heart, thaI I feel European with every fibre of my being. And with Brexit, that clown and jester had stripped me and millions of other Britons of a possible future in Europe. My window of possibilities was shattered into smithereens.

I shall never forgive Farage for the fiasco of Brexit, because he caused me far too much grief, pain, and sorrow. And it was all for mothing anyway. We the people gained no advantage from Brexit, and our economy has flatlined ever since. The only thing I can think of that certainly hasn’t flatlined is Farage’s bank balance! — © Mark Alexander

The U.K. Is Still Counting the Cost of Brexit, 10 Years After the Vote

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Citing lower trade and investment, analysts broadly agree that Britain’s economy is smaller than it would have been if the country had stayed in the E.U.

This photo is from this NYT article. | Ten years ago, British voters approved by a slim margin a proposal for the country to leave the European Union. The economic results, economists say, have not been glowing. | Andrew Testa for The New York Times
Just before Britain’s fateful referendum on its membership to the European Union 10 years ago, the government of the day gave a stark warning. A vote to leave the bloc would lead to “an immediate and profound shock” to the economy. By a slim margin, the public voted to leave anyway.

The economic warnings were wrong, but only in their timing.

Brexit has damaged the British economy and the costs have steadily accumulated over the past decade, greatly outweighing any benefits, economists say. More visibly, Brexit has unleashed a torrent of political instability: The country will soon get its seventh prime minister since the June 23, 2016 vote, after Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday.

The turmoil has led to a sense of regret: In a recent poll, nearly half of Britons said that Brexit was going worse than expected, up sharply from five years ago. Another survey found that just over half would support rejoining the European Union.

It is hard to be precise about the cost of Brexit, given the other hits to the British economy since the referendum, including the Covid-19 pandemic, President Trump’s tariffs and the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Here’s what to know about the economic impact so far, according to several recent reports. » | Eshe Nelson | Reporting from London | Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Ten WASTED years! Ten years of BELLYACHING! Ten years of FALSE HOPES! For that CAULDRON of HOPELESSNESS, we can thank David Cameron's extremely poor political judgment, BoJo's desire for the keys to Number 10, come what may and regardless of the cost either to Britons or Europeans, and last but certainly not least, the SNAKEOIL SALESMAN par excellence — Nigel Farage.

There are many other blackguards on the Brexit horizon as well, but those are the three MAIN characters. There were several others who caused untold damage to the UK economy, and yet others who couldn't stop salivating because of the money they made from Brexit and other people's misery. People such as Jacob Rees-Mogg who spent his time selling suckers fairy stories about how well off they would be if we left the European Union! That didn't work out too well, did it?

So now, we have a mountain to climb to get back into the European Union AS FULL MEMBERS, minus the so-called opt-outs and the usual British moaning and groaning, and hopefully embracing the euro.

Outside of the EU, I feel like a fish out of water. I am sure I am not alone.

So, let us commence our arduous but exciting journey back to the heart of Europe, where we belong! — © Mark Alexander

Anthem of Europe: Ode to Joy »

Three in Five Gen Z Britons Would Like New Vote to Rejoin EU, Poll Finds

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Data reveals 60% of 18 to 28-year-olds would vote to rejoin bloc if given the opportunity

Screenshot taken from this Mi>Guardian article. | Demonstrators in favour of rejoining the EU in London this month. Hostility toward the UK’s exit from the EU is strongest among the youngest adults. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images
A generation of young Britons who were locked out of the 2016 EU referendum because of their age now believe that Brexit has failed, with a majority demanding a fresh vote to rejoin the EU, exclusive polling shows.

Gen Z Britons show deep dissatisfaction with the UK’s departure from the EU, according to new polling of 18- to 28-year-olds conducted by the thinktank More in Common and shared with the Guardian.

The data reveals that 60% of this cohort would vote to rejoin the bloc if given the opportunity, compared with 9% who would vote to stay out.

When filtering the results to focus solely on those likely to cast a ballot in a hypothetical second referendum, the margin becomes a landslide, with the pro-EU Remain/Rejoin camp capturing 81% of the vote against just 19% for remaining outside.

The More in Common study, which surveyed 440 young people across Britain, shows that 50% of gen Z Britons categorise Brexit as a failure. In contrast, only 16% view the project as a success, while 34% remain undecided. » | Jamie Grierson | Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Three in five Gen Z Britons PLUS this forward-thinking baby boomer! 😊

What Britain needs right now to bring about our return to the European Union is a REAL LEADER with BALLS! A leader with SPUNK. — © Mark Alexander

Two-thirds of EU Citizens Back UK Rejoining Bloc, Survey Finds

THE GUARDIAN: Poll also finds three quarters of people in Britain want closer ties, with majority accepting free movement

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | Activists hold EU flags during the weekly anti-Brexit and pro-EU protest in London’s Parliament Square this week, calling on the UK government to rejoin the EU. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/Sopa Images/Shutterstock
Two-thirds of EU citizens would back Britain rejoining the bloc, while most UK voters say Brexit has been bad for the issues they care about and want closer ties, including levels of integration – such as free movement – long seen as toxic, a survey has found.

Ten years after the Brexit referendum, the polling by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), a thinktank, found 66% of respondents across 15 countries felt UK membership was a very good, good or “neither a good nor a bad” idea.

The average comfortably exceeded those favouring a closer relationship (59%) or the status quo (46%). Support for rejoin ranged from lows of 56% in Bulgaria and 59% in France and Italy to highs of 75% in the Netherlands and Denmark.

Even voters for far-right and EU-critical parties said they would support closer relations between the bloc and the UK, including a majority of backers of Poland’s Confederation (71%), Germany’s AfD (58%) and France’s National Rally (58%). » | Jon Henley | Europe correspondent | Sunday, June 21, 2026

HALLELUJAH! – Mark

ALSO READ:

Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future »

What Brexit Really Cost

Jun 19, 2026 | In June 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union. Ten years later, Bloomberg Originals unpacks the economic cost of Brexit and the political forces it unleashed.

People who voted for Brexit were of an ilk. ‘Nuff said! — © Mark Alexander

UK Could Keep Special Pre-Brexit Terms If It Rejoined EU, Michel Barnier Says

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Former chief Brexit negotiator says staying out of euro and Schengen area would be ‘perfectly possible’

This screenshot is from this Guardian article. | Michel Barnier served as the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator and twice as a European commissioner. Photograph: Magali Delporte/The Guardian
Michel Barnier has said Britain could regain its special terms if it rejoined the EU and claimed it was becoming clearer every day to the British people that they would be stronger in Europe.

In an interview before the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum next week, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator said he could not see any obstacle to the UK keeping the pound and remaining outside the passport-free Schengen travel area should the country rejoin.

The comments cast serious doubt on suggestions from some authoritative voices, including Poland’s foreign minister, that the UK could be forced to accept more difficult terms on re-entering the bloc.

They will be seen as a boost to those who are campaigning for the UK to rejoin the EU, with polling showing that support for rejoining is stronger when the old terms are on the table.

Under the EU treaties, all member states are expected to join the euro, apart from Denmark, which has a permanent opt-out. » | Daniel Boffey | Chief reporter | Thursday, June 18, 2026

ALSO READ:

‘Cynical to get power’: Michel Barnier on Boris Johnson, Brexit and the EU’s future: Former negotiator believes in an unstable world, it is ‘perfectly possible’ the UK can rejoin the EU with old opt-outs »

EU and UK Announce Summit to Discuss ‘Reset’ in Post-Brexit Relations

THE GUARDIAN: Meeting was delayed over details of youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s freedom to work and study in each other’s territory

The EU and the UK have announced they will hold their next summit to discuss the “reset” in relations between London and Brussels on 22 July.

The summit, which will be held in Brussels, has been delayed several times, with talks over a youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s to work, travel or study in each other’s territory deadlocked in recent weeks, fuelling speculation the summit would be postponed until the autumn.

António Costa, the president of the European Council, confirmed the date at the G7 meeting in Evian on Tuesday.

“Close EU-UK cooperation is essential for our shared European security, resilience and prosperity,” he said. “We are working closely together to make our upcoming second summit on 22 July a success.”

The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, who could be facing a leadership challenge after this Thursday’s Makerfield byelection, said: “My Labour government is delivering on our promise to reset our relationship and put Britain at the heart of Europe.

“Together we will tackle the cost of living, boost jobs and create opportunities for young people.” » | Lisa O’Carroll, Senior correspondent | Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Brexit: 10 Years of Regret? • FRANCE 24 English

Jun 12, 2026 | On June 23, 2016 the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union with 52 percent of "Leave" votes against 48 percent for "Remain". It was a political storm few had predicted. Ten years on, our Revisited show explores the social and political impact of the decision. How did Brexit reshape the country and has it helped improve people's lives? What has been the impact on the economy and on sectors like farming?