LONDON: Andy Burnham has put the idea on the table of Britain rejoining the EU, breaking a taboo for a British prime minister and leading French President Emmanuel Macron to declare in English “Welcome back”.

Burnham reopened the divisive Brexit debate on Tuesday by saying his centre-left Labour government could go “all the way” and propose membership of the bloc after weighing the “pros and cons” of different possible relationships with Europe.

Right-wing rivals immediately criticised the comme­nts, as the United Kingdom appeared to be gearing up for a re-run of the bitter “Brexit wars” that dominated its politics following the contentious 2016 vote to leave the European Union.

Burnham, premier since July after Labour MPs turfed out Keir Starmer, told his party’s annual conference that Britain’s departure in 2020 had done “more harm than good”.

He said Brexit had triggered “a decade of low growth” and Britain must “decide on a long-term relationship” with its largest trading partner.

Burnham promised to set out “different options” closer to a planned summit with the 27-member bloc this year.

Possibilities that could be looked at included joining the European single market and customs union, “or we could go all the way”, Burnham told BBC Radio on Wednesday.

“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.

Speaking at a news conference in Madrid after talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pe­dro Sanchez, Macron welcomed the idea. “If the British want to come back and if the prime minister is moving in that direction, I think that is very good news both for his country and for Europeans,” Macron said. “Come back,” he added.

Sanchez echoed Macron’s comments, saying if the UK asks to rejoin “then of course Spain would applaud it and open its arms again to a brotherly people”.

Brexit polls

Britain’s right-wing Conse­r­vative party took the country out of the EU after Britons voted to leave by 52 per cent to 48pc.

A poll in June found that 55pc of voters would opt to rejoin if a referendum was held again.

“I think Burnham is recognising the widespread view in the country that Brexit has failed, and in the Labour Party that closer ties are needed,” David Henig, an expert on UK-EU relations, said.

Burnham is currently bound by Starmer’s 2024 election-winning manifesto which ruled out joining a customs union, going back into the single market or allowing the return of freedom of movement with the EU.

Burnham’s comments indicate he plans to remove some of those red lines going into the campaign for the next general election, expected in 2029.

Criticism

Richard Tice, deputy leader of the anti-EU Reform UK party, said Burnham was “trying to sneak us back into Brussels via the back door”, while Tory deputy leader Alex Burghart accused the prime minister of looking “backwards”.

A UK-EU summit had been due to be held in July in Brussels, but was postponed after Starmer’s ouster.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2026