Andy Burnham has suggested rejoining the EU is among options the government could examine to reshape the UK’s long-term relationship with Europe.
The prime minister told the BBC the current Brexit settlement had caused “more harm than good” and he wanted to look at “what is doable” to repair relations.
It comes after he pledged in his Labour conference speech on Tuesday to explore closer ties with the bloc at a delayed summit later this year.
The move could set up a huge dividing line at the next general election, with the Conservatives accusing him of trying to “reopen old wounds by restarting the battles of the Brexit years”.
Last week, Burnham left the door open to campaigning at the next general election for a mandate to rejoin the EU.
As a candidate in the Makerfield by-election that propelled his return to Parliament, he had promised not to “re-run” Brexit arguments and said he was “not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU”.
But his latest comments are the clearest indication yet he could make a decisive break from Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which pledged to “make Brexit work” whilst ruling out rejoining either its customs union or single market.
Predecessor Sir Keir Starmer had instead tried to carve out a more limited reset in relations, including aligning with EU food standards, a youth visa deal and relinking British industry to the EU’s carbon trading regime.
Sir Keir’s departure from office delayed a summer summit with the EU until later this year, at which time Burnham has also said he wants to publish a 10-year plan to transform the UK economy.
‘All the way’
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Burnham said he did not want to leave the question of the EU relationship “hanging” and he wanted to be clear on “where we want Britain to go in the next decade”.
Asked whether he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU, he replied that he wanted to “look at the options”.
He added he had previously advocated such a move within his lifetime, whilst acknowledging it was “not necessarily the case that that is now”.
“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.”
“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,” he added.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said his party has put forward “concrete plans to boost our economy, strengthen our defences and cut people’s taxes by joining the single market and a customs union”.
He added: “Talk is cheap. Burnham must stop with all the ‘maybes’ and get negotiating that better deal for Britain today.”
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice accused Burnham of “trying to sneak us back into Brussels via the back door”.
Tice said: “He says Brexit has done more harm than good but what’s done real harm is a Labour government that can’t deliver growth, can’t control migration and now wants to outsource the job to Brussels.”
He added Reform would “never let this betrayal go unchallenged”.
In his conference speech on Tuesday, Burnham blamed Brexit for a loss of control over both immigration and the economy, telling delegates he did not believe the current relationship was “good enough”.
He told activists he wanted to use the rescheduled summit later this year to lay out “different options” for the UK’s long-term relationship with Europe.
He promised to “find consensus” on an option to clarify the UK’s position, although did not offer further detail of how this would be measured.
In response to Burnham’s conference speech, Conservative deputy leader Alex Burghart said: “Labour cannot pin the blame for their disastrous economic decisions on a vote that happened over a decade ago.
“Besides, they are already dragging us into the European Union via the back door with their EU reset.”
Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It’ll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
