The UK voted out. Labour’s letting us back in—just in bits, like a dodgy ex slipping through the side gate with flowers and a new Erasmus brochure. First it was Horizon science funding, now it’s student exchanges. What’s next? Free mobile roaming and apologising to Jean-Claude Juncker?
🎒 Erasmus Is Back, but Democracy? Still on Sabbatical
Remember that thing called Brexit? The whole referendum, historic choice, will of the people moment? Yeah, apparently Labour found the shredder settings marked “soft power U-turn” and are now pressing undo with the enthusiasm of a civil servant ordering foie gras in Brussels.
Enter the Erasmus Scheme—that delightful EU student swap system we binned in the name of sovereignty. Now it’s making a comeback because apparently swapping future voters with wine-soaked gap year ambitions is more important than, say, honouring the referendum result.
It’s classic political sleight of hand: “We’re not rejoining the EU,” they say. “Just rejoining all the bits people liked.” Except those “bits” were exactly what Leave voters voted out of. You can’t slowly climb back into the EU bedroom and pretend it’s not a relationship. You’re not just “staying over,” Keir. You’ve brought a toothbrush and a bag of EU-funded pamphlets.
And to anyone cheering this on from Brussels: enjoy the victory lap while it lasts. Because guess who’s watching from the sidelines with a clipboard and a voter database? REFORM. And if this game of passive-aggressive rejoining continues, the next election might look more UKIP 2.0 than Starmer’s spreadsheet ever dreamed of.
🗳️ Challenges 🗳️
What’s the point of voting if politicians just rewrite your choices in footnotes and “technical partnerships”? Is this student exchange or democracy exchange?
Sound off in the blog comments below—not just in pub rants and WhatsApp groups.
Is Labour honouring the future or unpicking the past?
👇 Smash comment, share, and tag someone who still thinks sovereignty is worth more than subsidised sangria.
The top takes will be featured in the next issue of the magazine. 📝🔥
Chameleon Magazine 
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