Burnham Says UK Should Weigh Rejoining EU as Option Among Post-Brexit Paths

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain should weigh its long-term options for its relationship with the European Union, including ultimately rejoining the bloc.

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, a day after telling the Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool that Brexit had “done more harm than good”, Burnham said the country should examine different models and decide which offers the best path forward, according to Reuters.

“We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay,” Burnham told the broadcaster. “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 single market, or we could go all the way.”

The options should be assessed based on “what is doable” and their advantages and disadvantages, he said, adding that he did not want to leave the issue “hanging” and wanted clarity on where Britain goes in the next decade.

Burnham said he would use a UK-EU summit in November to outline the options for Britain’s long-term relationship with the bloc.

The stance goes beyond Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which ruled out rejoining the customs union or single market or allowing the return of freedom of movement. Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer in July, has previously said he would like Britain to rejoin the EU in his lifetime and has argued the country cannot afford another decade of uncertainty over the issue.

The opposition reacted sharply: Conservative deputy leader Alex Burghart said Labour could not “pin the blame for their disastrous economic decisions on a vote that happened over a decade ago”, accusing the government of dragging Britain “into the European Union via the back door”, the Press Association reported.

Sources

• Reuters: Burnham says Britain should weigh EU options, including rejoining bloc → https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/burnham-says-britain-should-weigh-eu-options-including-rejoining-bloc-2026-09-30/
• Press Association: UK PM Andy Burnham not ruling out going “all the way” and rejoining EU → https://www.ajbell.co.uk/news/articles/uk-pm-andy-burnham-not-ruling-out-going-all-way-and-rejoining-eu