London considering rejoining EU as Brexit 'caused more harm than good': Andy Burnham

LONDON, Sep 30: UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said rejoining the European union could be among the options his government considers as it seeks to reshape Britain's long-term relationship with the bloc.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Burnham said the current post-Brexit settlement had caused "more harm than good" and that the government needed to examine "what is doable" to repair ties with Europe.

Asked whether he wanted Britain to rejoin the EU, Burnham said he wanted to "look at the options", ranging from maintaining the current arrangement to pursuing closer integration.

"We could stay as we are. That's definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay," he said. "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."

"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.

The comments mark a shift from Burnham's position earlier this year. During his campaign for the Makerfield by-election, which returned him to Parliament, he said he was "not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU" and warned against rerunning the political arguments of the Brexit years.

His latest remarks follow his speech at Labour's annual conference on Tuesday, when he said Brexit had failed to deliver on its promise of "taking back control" and had instead weakened Britain, particularly on the economy and immigration fronts.

"I am very clear, and I will say this bluntly: Brexit has caused more harm than good," Burnham told the BBC. "So the question is, what do we do about that "

Burnham has said he wants to use the delayed UK-EU summit, now expected in November, to set out the different options for Britain's long-term relationship with its European partners and try to build consensus around one of them. Any formal change in the country's relationship with the EU would, however, have to wait until after the next general election, which is due by mid-2029.

The approach goes further than the position adopted by his predecessor, Keir Starmer, whose government sought a more limited reset while maintaining Labour's 2024 election commitments to stay outside the EU, single market and customs union and not restore freedom of movement.

Burnham's comments have drawn criticism from Brexit-supporting parties. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice accused him of trying to take Britain "back into Brussels via the back door" and said the party would oppose any such move.

The Conservatives have also accused Labour of reopening the Brexit debate, while the Liberal Democrats have called for closer economic ties with Europe through the single market and customs union.

Burnham's government is expected to use the coming months to examine the possible models for Britain's future relationship with the EU, including the status quo, a customs union, single-market participation or eventual full membership. (UNI)