UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says rejoining the EU is among the options his government will examine to reshape Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with Europe. French and Spanish leaders welcomed the comments.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signaled that rejoining the European Union is now one of several paths the government might explore as it rethinks the UK’s long term relationship with Europe.
Burnham told the BBC that the current Brexit arrangement has caused more damage than benefit, and that he wants to examine what’s realistically achievable to mend ties with the bloc. His comments follow a pledge he made during his Labour conference speech on Tuesday, in which he committed to exploring a closer relationship with the EU ahead of a postponed summit planned for later in the year.
A Potential Flashpoint for the Next Election
This shift could create a sharp dividing line heading into the next general election. Conservative critics have already accused Burnham of trying to reopen old wounds by reviving the political battles of the Brexit years.
Just last week, Burnham signaled he wouldn’t rule out campaigning at the next election on a platform seeking a mandate to rejoin the EU. That’s a notable shift from his earlier position. While running in the Makerfield by-election that brought him back into Parliament, Burnham had promised not to rehash Brexit debates and explicitly said he wasn’t proposing UK membership in the EU.
A Break From Labour’s 2024 Manifesto
His latest remarks represent the strongest signal yet that he may be prepared to move decisively away from Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which committed to making Brexit work while explicitly ruling out rejoining the EU’s customs union or single market.
His predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, had instead pursued a narrower reset with the EU, focusing on things like aligning with European food standards, striking a youth visa agreement and reconnecting British industry to the EU’s carbon trading system. Starmer’s exit from office pushed back a planned summer summit with the EU to later this year, the same summit at which Burnham now says he intends to unveil a ten year plan aimed at transforming the UK economy.
Burnham Lays Out the Options
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Burnham said he doesn’t want to leave the UK’s relationship with the EU unresolved, stressing the importance of having clarity on the country’s direction over the next decade.
When asked directly whether he wants the UK to rejoin the EU, he said he wants to weigh the available options. He acknowledged having supported such a move earlier in his life, though he was careful to note that his position today isn’t necessarily the same.
He laid out a range of possibilities, from keeping things as they currently stand, an option he said remains valid if that’s where public opinion lands, to considering ideas like the customs union proposal floated by former Chancellor George Osborne, or the single market approach raised by the Liberal Democrats at their party conference. He also left open the possibility of going even further than either of those options.
