Prime Minister Andy Burnham has acknowledged he could go “all the way” and propose rejoining the European Union as he considers the UK’s future relationship with Brussels. He said he would look at the “pros and cons” of all options.
In his first Labour Party conference speech as leader, Mr Burnham said Brexit had done “more harm than good” and promised to set out the options to the country around the time of a UK-EU summit later this year. He told the BBC he did not want to leave the issue “hanging” and he wanted to be clear on “where we want Britain to go in the next decade”.
All options on the table
Asked whether he wanted the UK to rejoin the bloc, he told the Today programme he wanted to “look at the options”. “We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay,” he told the programme.
“We could look at what [former Chancellor] 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,” he added. “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.”
Summit delayed after Starmer resignation
Mr Burnham said he would set out “different options” later this year to coincide with a meeting with EU leaders. That summit had been scheduled for July but was postponed following the resignation of Keir Starmer. A new date has not been set.
He said he would try to “find consensus” in the country on one option to clarify the UK’s long-term position, although he did not offer further detail of how this would be measured.
Labour’s 2024 election manifesto ruled out joining a customs union, returning to the single market, or allowing the return of freedom of movement with the EU. But Mr Burnham has indicated he is prepared to recommend going beyond those red lines in future.
