Andy Burnham has put a possible new vote on Britain’s relationship with the European Union back into national politics, saying Brexit has done “more harm than good” and that a future Labour manifesto could include a second referendum.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference, the British prime minister said the country had to “consider the options”, from its present arrangement to rejoining the customs union or single market, or going “all the way”. He cited “a decade of low growth” in the ten years since the 2016 referendum.
Burnham has left open a manifesto pledge to rejoin the EU. He said that, if public opinion were “pointing towards” re-entry, he could commit in the next manifesto to holding a vote. In an interview with ITV News, he said: “I can't avoid the Europe question if I'm to put out a credible 10-year plan for Britain.”
His remarks mark a move beyond the 2024 Labour manifesto red lines that had ruled out returning to the EU single market or customs union. Burnham said his “instincts” were that “it is better to be closer” to the EU “with all of the threats that we see around the world”.
The shift brought a swift invitation from Roland Lescure, France’s finance minister, who told the BBC that Britain should “come all the way” back to the EU. Lescure said: “Come back, and you'll be at the table, and we discuss all these things together.”
He also made clear that any return would be for Britain to decide. “British people decided, and that's obviously their 100% right, and if they're willing to come back, they will have to decide,” Lescure said. His message to Britain was: “But what I can tell them is: come back, anytime.”
European leaders have publicly encouraged Burnham’s approach. At a press conference in Madrid on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron told the UK “Welcome back”, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would welcome Britain into the bloc with “open arms”.
Opponents at Westminster cast the intervention as an attempt to reverse the earlier decision without a direct mandate. Richard Tice, Reform UK’s deputy leader, accused Burnham of “trying to sneak us back into Brussels via the back door”. Alex Burghart, the Conservative deputy leader, warned against reopening the “Brexit wars” that dominated politics in 2016.
Burnham has promised to set out options for Britain’s long-term relationship with the EU at a planned UK-EU summit later this year.
Before then, Burnham is due in Berlin on Thursday for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, expected to focus on defence and security. The discussion comes as the EU’s car industry calls for the UK to be included in Made In Europe proposals to prevent disruption to its supply chains.
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