Burnham Signals EU Rejoining Could Be Examined as Government Weighs Options

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that his government may examine rejoining the European Union as one of several paths to reconfigure Britain's relationship with the bloc.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Burnham stated that the existing Brexit arrangement had produced "more harm than good" and that he intended to explore "what is doable" to mend European relations. He stressed he did not wish to leave the question of Britain's EU ties unresolved and wanted clarity on "where we want Britain to go in the next decade".

When asked directly about rejoining the EU, Burnham said he preferred to "look at the options". He outlined a spectrum of possibilities: maintaining the current setup, adopting a customs union arrangement, pursuing single market membership, or "go all the way" with full EU membership. He noted that while he had previously supported rejoining during his lifetime, that position was "not necessarily the case that that is now".

This marks a notable departure from Labour's 2024 election platform, which committed to making Brexit function while explicitly rejecting customs union or single market participation. His predecessor Sir Keir Starmer had pursued a narrower reset, negotiating EU food standard alignment, a youth mobility scheme, and reconnection to the carbon trading system.

Burnham intends to present these options at an EU summit scheduled for later this year, alongside a 10-year economic transformation strategy for the UK.

The statement has triggered strong reactions across the political landscape. The Conservative Party condemned Burnham for attempting to "reopen old wounds by restarting the battles of the Brexit years". Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice claimed the Prime Minister was "trying to sneak us back into Brussels via the back door". The Liberal Democrats urged Burnham to move beyond "maybes" and begin concrete negotiations for improved terms, while the Green Party argued that rejoining the customs union should form the foundation for undoing Brexit's impact.

The EU's ambassador to the UK responded that "the doors are open" but responsibility rested with the British public to "identify and decide on its level of ambition when it comes to deepening cooperation with the EU".