‘We have a Brexit opportunity. Don't mess it up, Andy Burnham’ - Letter

Brexit is a topic that continues to get the city of Leeds talking, ten years after the referendum.

Following the decade anniversary of the 2016 vote, the Yorkshire Evening Post spoke to residents to gauge their thoughts on how it is going. See more here.

But we also had this letter from Jas Olak, Vice Chair, Leeds for Europe. Read it in full below.

‘We have a Brexit opportunity. Don't mess it up, Andy Burnham’

At first glance, Saturday’s (June 27) front-page story, "It’s harder to do business," looked like just another grim read about Brexit's tenth anniversary.

The familiar bad news of friction, disruption, higher costs, and reduced trade was certainly there. But a vitally important, positive truth also emerged: we are no longer as divided a city - or country - as we were in 2016.

Back then, whether we voted Remain or Leave, no one had a crystal ball. No one could have predicted the global shocks of a pandemic, the war in Ukraine, or such a disruptive influence in the White House.

Equally, no one knew the exact terms the government would settle on, nor how far they would fall short of the Leave campaign's promises.

Today, we are in a fundamentally different place. We no longer have to guess which politicians to believe; we can base our views on actual evidence.

As the one-time Leave voters you spoke to agreed, we never got what was promised. The daily struggles of local independent businesses documented by the YEP show exactly what that reality looks like on the ground.

Because of this shared evidence, a new consensus has emerged. Both those who voted ten years ago and the younger generation who have come of age since overwhelmingly support rejoining the European Union. The real divide in 2026 is no longer between Leave and Remain.

It is between a pragmatic public that wants a stronger local economy, and politicians who still treat Brexit as the ‘elephant in the room’ or believe hesitant, small steps toward Europe will suffice.

While the EU is not a magic solution, rebuilding our place within it will undeniably help lower prices, cut red tape, and restore opportunities. Small steps will not be enough. Our political leaders must catch up with the public and embrace the sensible path forward.

The opportunity is here to bring our country closer together and forge a better alliance with Europe. Don't mess it up, Andy Burnham.

• Jas Olak, Vice Chair, Leeds for Europe, Roundhay, Leeds