British PM responds to Von der Leyen's suggestion UK should rejoin EU to "fix" Brexit

The United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union to “fix” Brexit, Ursula von der Leyen has said, after Labour pledged to forge closer ties with the bloc if elected.

As reported by the Telegraph, she was speaking amid much improved UK relations since the signing of Rishi Sunak’s new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland in February and after Nexit-backing Geert Wilders’ shock victory in Dutch elections last week. Von der Leyen said she was telling her children when talking about the issue that the EU "goofed it up" and suggested the younger generation could “fix” the mistake of Brexit.

However, Downing Street said Rishi Sunak does not believe that Brexit is “in peril” despite the President of the European Commission suggesting the UK could be on a path to rejoin the bloc.

And asked if Mr Sunak agreed with Mrs von der Leyen, the spokesman said: “No. It’s through our Brexit freedoms that we are, right now, considering how to further strengthen our migration system.

“It is through our Brexit freedoms we are ensuring patients in the UK can get access to medicines faster, that there is improved animal welfare. That is very much what we are focused on.”