Andy Burnham Open to Reversing Brexit and Rejoining European Union

Andy Burnham signals open mind on reversing Brexit and rejoining EU

Andy Burnham has confirmed he is open to reversing Brexit and could push for Britain to rejoin the European Union after the next election, noting that all options are on the table for the future relationship between the UK and the bloc. Speaking on Wednesday morning, the Prime Minister said:

“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:

“We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay.”

During an appearance on BBC’s Today Programme, the Labour leader pointed to proposals previously raised by former Chancellor George Osborne regarding a customs union arrangement, alongside suggestions from the Liberal Democrats concerning single market access.

“We could go all the way,”

Burnham suggested, opening up a pathway that would overturn the outcome of the 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union. The comments follow his speech at the Labour party conference on Tuesday, where he delivered several broad political pledges ahead of the next election.

Critical view on existing EU relationship

Addressing conference delegates, the Prime Minister launched a direct critique of Brexit, stating that leaving the bloc had done

"more harm for good".

He noted that the upcoming UK EU summit, which was originally scheduled for 22 July prior to the leadership change, will aim to forge closer ties with the 27 state bloc after determining that the current relationship was not > "good enough".

Burnham stated he would seek to find consensus on an option to clarify the UK position, though he did not provide specific details on how that consensus would be established. The Conservative Party responded critical of the remarks. Alex Burghart, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, 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.”

Broader effort to rebuild ties

The signal towards closer ties follows earlier efforts under Sir Keir Starmer to align more closely with European partners. As part of last year's routine five year review of the UK EU trade and cooperation agreement signed in 2020, Starmer had pledged a reset of relations.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Hamish Falconer, minister of state for intergovernmental relations and European relations, told conference delegates that Burnham intended to move further and faster to rebuild ties with the European Union.

“[Burnham] thinks Europe is an important question for the UK, that Brexit has not been a success, and so he is quite rightly sending me off with an ambitious set of instructions to try and get us closer to Europe faster,” Falconer said

Source: City A.M.