UK rejoining EU within months? MEP points to ‘Switzerland Plus’ deal

A senior MEP, Bernd Lange, has signalled the possibility of the UK joining the European Union within months.

The German MEP who was involved in the initial Brexit negotiations said that Britain could rejoin the EU within months if it strikes a deal similar to Switzerland’s agreement, adding he would love to see the UK come back and lay out a route to join the bloc.

"So we have the model of Switzerland … Switzerland plus, I would say, as that has some kinds of engagement but not the full membership."

Speaking to The Guardian, he suggested the UK could follow Switzerland’s model by gaining access to the European single market without full EU membership.

This potential arrangement could be negotiated within months and might include bilateral agreements covering trade, security, raw materials, digital policy and some level of political cooperation.

Like Switzerland's relationship with the EU, such a deal could involve partial single-market access, contributions to the EU's cohesion fund, and the free movement of people.

Lange’s remarks come as the Brexit debate has once again reignited across the UK after the prime minister Andy Burnham urged the country to strengthen its ties with the bloc.

However, Burnham’s proposal drew backlash from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch who accused him of attempting to unpick the Brexit withdrawal agreement and warning that a better deal would not be secured.

Bernd Lange's London visit includes meetings with UK Trade Minister Anas Sarwar and MPs Stella Creasy and Liam Byrne, ahead of a scheduled UK-EU summit on November 20.