In a significant shift for British politics, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that Britain should reconsider its relationship with the European Union (EU), suggesting that rejoining the bloc could be an option for the future.
This marks a departure from the stance of his predecessor, Keir Starmer, who had maintained Labour’s manifesto pledge not to rejoin the EU.
Here is a breakdown of the recent developments regarding the UK and the EU:
- Burnham’s Assessment of Brexit: Speaking at the Labour Party’s annual conference on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Prime Minister Burnham stated that Brexit had done “more harm than good”. He attributed a “decade of low growth” and weaker control over immigration and the economy to Britain’s departure from the EU in 2020.
- Options on the Table: Burnham, who became Prime Minister in July after Labour MPs removed Starmer, told BBC Radio that the UK must “decide on a long-term relationship” with the EU. He mentioned several potential paths:
- Maintaining the current relationship.
- Pursuing a customs union.
- Rejoining the single market.
- Considering a full return to the EU (“we could go all the way”).
- Next Steps: The Prime Minister plans to present these “different options” and seek consensus on one of them ahead of a planned summit with the 27-member EU bloc later this year. He emphasized the need to evaluate the “pros and cons of each” option and determine what is “doable”.
- Reactions from European Leaders: The prospect of the UK moving closer to the EU has been met with positive responses from some European leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the idea, stating, “If the British want to come back and if the prime minister is moving in that direction, I think that is very good news both for his country and for Europeans”. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez echoed this sentiment, adding that Spain would “applaud it and open its arms again” if the UK asked to rejoin.
- Domestic Reactions: Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting also expressed support for seeking a new special relationship with the EU, calling the 2016 referendum decision a “catastrophic mistake”.
While rejoining the EU is not currently official government policy, Burnham’s comments have reopened the debate on Britain’s future relationship with Europe
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