British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that rejoining the European Union could be among the options considered as his government reviews the United Kingdom’s long-term relationship with Brussels. Burnham said he wanted to examine the “pros and cons” of the available options rather than rule any of them out.
Speaking at his first Labour Party conference as prime minister, Burnham said Brexit had caused “more harm than good” and pledged to set out different options for the country around the time of a UK-EU summit expected later this year. He told the BBC that he did not want the issue to remain unresolved and wanted to provide clarity about the direction Britain should take over the next decade.
Asked directly whether he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU, Burnham said he wanted to “look at the options.” He said Britain could maintain the current arrangements, consider a customs union, explore returning to the single market, or potentially “go all the way” to EU membership.
“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,” Burnham told the BBC. He has not set out a timetable or made a commitment to seek EU membership.
His comments represent a shift from Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which ruled out rejoining the EU single market or customs union and restoring freedom of movement. Burnham has now indicated that the government is prepared to reassess those positions as it considers the UK’s future relationship with the EU.
The UK-EU summit, originally planned for earlier this year and subsequently postponed, is expected to provide an opportunity for discussions on the future relationship between Britain and the European Union. Burnham has said he will present the different options to the country around the time of the summit.
