Prime Minister Andy Burnham has suggested that rejoining the European Union in full is one option for the UK's future relationship with Europe, marking a potential shift in Labour's position on Brexit.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Burnham outlined several possible paths, including staying as the UK is now, joining a customs union as suggested by former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne, joining the single market as proposed by the Liberal Democrats, or going "all the way" and rejoining the EU.
PM's conference speech sets out options
At his first Labour Party conference as leader on Tuesday, Burnham said the government would re-examine Britain's relationship with Europe and explore options at a summit expected later this year. In his speech, he said Brexit had done "more harm than good" and called for Britain to consider its "long-term relationship" with the EU.
He said: "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. 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."
Shift from previous position
Previously, Burnham said he "hoped" Britain would rejoin the bloc in his lifetime. However, during his campaign to become the MP for Makerfield in the summer, he said he wanted to avoid "re-running" the Brexit debate. He also said he would stick to Labour's 2024 general election manifesto, which called for closer ties to the EU but explicitly ruled out rejoining.
It now appears Labour's position on the EU could be shifting. Burnham announced he would use the UK-EU summit expected later this year to set out what he believed were the "different options" and attempt to find a political consensus on a way forward.
Labour figures back wider debate
Labour MP Stella Creasy said "everything must be on the table", including removing the "red lines" set down in the 2024 manifesto that bar rejoining the EU's single market or the customs union.
She said: "Removing the red lines on Europe is the essential first step to restoring this country's place on the world stage. We stand with this Prime Minister in making the changes that truly live up to the challenges of 2026, not 2016."
