We call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry into the impact of Brexit
The Parliament petitions site records 216,807 signatures for this petition, which closed on 18 May 2023. The Government responded on 5 December 2022. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 24 April 2023.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
We call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry into the impact of Brexit
The benefits that were promised if the UK exited the European Union have not been delivered, so we call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry to assess the impact that Brexit has had on this country and its citizens.
It is time that the people of this country were told the truth about Brexit, good or bad. We deserve to know how Brexit is impacting on trade, the economy, opportunities for young people and how it has affected the rights of individuals. This can only be done by an independent Public Inquiry, free from ideology and the opinions of vested interests.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 5 December 2022; the petitions site lists the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office as responsible. Its summary:
The UK’s departure from the EU was a democratic choice and the UK-EU institutions are functioning as intended. The Government does not believe this to be an appropriate subject for a public inquiry.
The opening 377 words of the 458-word response:
The UK’s departure from the EU is the result of a democratic choice and the UK-EU institutions are functioning as intended. The Government does not believe the UK’s departure from the EU to be an appropriate subject for a public inquiry.
The Government’s policies regarding the UK’s new relationship with the EU are subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Under new scrutiny arrangements, the Government is scrutinised by the European Scrutiny Committee, and the European Affairs Committee and its Sub-Committee on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. Both the European Scrutiny Committee and the European Affairs Committee are currently holding inquiries into the new UK-EU relationship.
Ministers regularly appear before Select Committees. The Foreign Secretary most recently appeared before the European Scrutiny Committee on 7 November. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly submit written evidence and respond to correspondence from Select Committees.
Detailed information and statistics for UK-EU trade are regularly published by the Office of National Statistics.
The global economy faces significant headwinds. Since 2020, businesses have had to overcome the COVID pandemic, global supply chain disruptions, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is challenging to disentangle definitively the impact of these global factors from the long-term effects of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Both the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and the Withdrawal Agreement, which established the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, are broadly functioning as intended.
The TCA that was agreed between the UK and EU in 2020 is the world’s largest zero tariffs and zero quotas deal and the first time the EU has ever agreed such access in a free trade agreement. It also affirms the right of both the UK and the EU to determine their own policies, whilst maintaining overall levels of protection for climate and environment standards and workers’ rights. The UK remains committed to being a global leader in these areas.
We are opening new opportunities for UK businesses across the globe. Through our 12-point Export Strategy and new Export Academies, we are giving businesses the tools they need to export around the world and reap the benefits of our new trade deals. The Government has secured free trade agreements with 71 non-EU countries. Total UK trade with these countries was worth £240bn in 2021.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 1,063, came from Hornsey and Wood Green.
209,634 of the signatures were from the UK and 7,173 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Hornsey and Wood Green | 1,063 |
| Brighton, Pavilion | 1,049 |
| Bristol West | 964 |
| Holborn and St Pancras | 926 |
| Richmond Park | 912 |
| Twickenham | 886 |
| South Cambridgeshire | 877 |
| Cambridge | 847 |
| Bath | 825 |
| Oxford West and Abingdon | 811 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 36,314 |
| London | 30,178 |
| South West | 24,385 |
| North West | 20,739 |
| East of England | 19,658 |
| Scotland | 16,635 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 15,878 |
| West Midlands | 13,030 |
| East Midlands | 12,282 |
| Wales | 10,240 |
| North East | 6,844 |
| Northern Ireland | 2,343 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 24 April 2023. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/628226.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
7509f33c83a52379… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.