Burnham Says Rejoining EU Is On the Table as He Vows to Rethink Britain's Relationship With Europe

Andy Burnham has indicated that returning the UK to the European Union could be one of the possibilities the government examines as it seeks to rebuild the country's long-term ties with the bloc, in comments that mark his most explicit break yet from Labour's existing Brexit policy.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the prime minister said the present post-Brexit arrangement had done "more harm than good" and that he wanted to assess "what is doable" in order to repair the relationship with Brussels.

His remarks follow a pledge made during his Labour conference speech on Tuesday, in which he committed to exploring closer cooperation with the EU at a summit that has been pushed back to later this year.

The intervention is likely to create a sharp dividing line at the next general election, with the Conservatives already accusing him of attempting to "reopen old wounds by restarting the battles of the Brexit years."

The prime minister's latest position represents a notable shift. Last week, he had left open the possibility of fighting an election on a mandate to rejoin the EU, having previously promised not to "re-run" the Brexit arguments during his campaign in the Makerfield by-election that brought him back to Parliament.

At that time, he stated he was "not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU." His new comments, however, go considerably further than Labour's 2024 election manifesto, which committed the party to "make Brexit work" while explicitly ruling out membership of both the customs union and the single market.

His predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, had pursued a more modest reset of relations with Europe. That approach included aligning with EU food standards, negotiating a youth visa deal and reconnecting British industry to the EU's carbon trading regime. Sir Keir's departure from office delayed a planned summer summit with the EU until later in the year.

Burnham has said he intends to use that rescheduled summit to publish a 10-year plan aimed at transforming the UK economy, alongside setting out options for the country's future relationship with Europe.

In his radio interview, the prime minister said he did not want to leave the question of the EU relationship "hanging" and stressed the need for clarity on "where we want Britain to go in the next decade." Asked directly whether he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU, he said he wanted to "look at the options."

He noted that he had advocated such a move earlier in his political career, while conceding that "not necessarily the case that that is now." He went on to list several possible paths, telling the programme: "We could stay as we are. That's definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay."

"We could look at what George Osborne has said about a customs union, we could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about the single market, or we could go all the way," he added. "So there are clearly options that need to be considered, and we have to look at what is doable and what would be the pros and cons of each."

The reference to "going all the way" is being interpreted as a signal that full EU membership is not being excluded from the government's thinking, even if it is not currently being advocated as policy.

During his conference speech on Tuesday, Burnham placed the blame for the loss of control over both immigration and the economy on Brexit, telling delegates that he did not believe the current relationship with Europe was "good enough." He said he wanted to use the delayed summit to lay out "different options" for the UK's long-term relationship with the continent.

He also promised to "find consensus" around one of those options in order to clarify Britain's position, though he did not explain how that consensus would be measured or what mechanism would be used to determine it.

The Liberal Democrats have already positioned themselves in favour of a return to the single market, with leader Ed Davey promising tax cuts for millions of people if the UK rejoins. George Osborne, the former chancellor, has previously floated the idea of a customs union arrangement as a middle path.

Conservative deputy leader Alex Burghart responded to Burnham's conference speech by arguing that Labour could not blame a vote held more than a decade ago for its own economic decisions. "Besides, they are already dragging us into the European Union via the back door with their EU reset," he said.

The political sensitivity of the issue remains high. Brexit was one of the defining electoral battles of the past decade, and any suggestion that the UK could reverse course is likely to provoke fierce resistance from Leave-supporting voters and opposition parties alike.

For now, Burnham appears to be deliberately keeping his language broad, framing the debate around a menu of options rather than a single destination. By presenting remaining outside the EU, joining a customs union, entering the single market, or seeking full membership as alternative routes, he has left room to shape policy as the economic case develops.

Much will depend on the rescheduled summit later this year, when the government is expected to set out its 10-year economic plan alongside its thinking on Europe. How far Burnham is willing to push that agenda, and whether it becomes a formal election commitment, will determine whether his remarks mark a genuine change of direction or simply an opening bid in a longer debate about Britain's place in Europe.