> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.europeans.today/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Burnham has said the unsayable on Brexit. What happens now? - URL: https://www.europeans.today/2026/10/07/burnham-has-said-the-unsayable-on-brexit-what-happens-now/ - Published: 2026-10-07T00:15:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-07T14:58:08.000Z - Description: Andy Burnham has reopened Britain’s EU debate, but rejoining would force Labour to confront electoral risks, accession terms, and unresolved post-Brexit trade-offs. - Author: Benjamin Martill - Tags: Brexit, EU Membership, Andy Burnham, Labour Government, United Kingdom, UK Politics, European Union, UK-EU Relationship, Rejoin, Rejoin the EU, Labour Party 🔍 WHY THIS STORY MATTERS Andy Burnham’s shift puts EU membership back into mainstream government debate, forcing voters to weigh potential economic gains against accession conditions, political division, and the limits of Britain’s existing post-Brexit relationship. --- KEY TAKEAWAYS... ● Burnham has broken with his earlier reluctance to reopen Brexit by putting substantially closer EU ties, potentially including membership, back into political contention. ● Rejoining could offer deeper market access, but Britain would face negotiations over EU rules, free movement, the euro, and other former opt-outs. ● Public dissatisfaction with Brexit is substantial, but opposition to Brexit does not automatically translate into support for rejoining on whatever terms Brussels might require. --- A ndy Burnham’s revelation that he was prepared “to go all the way” in terms of the UK’s relationship with the EU came as a shock to many. While a commitment to rejoining the EU in the next Labour manifesto is far from a given – and the prime minister’s language was non-committal – the statement broke a taboo in the party. The idea of “reversing Brexit” seems to be in genuine contention, with Burnham’s advisors [assessing public support](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/no-10-gathering-evidence-public-support-rejoining-eu-reversing-brexit?ref=europeans.today). Meanwhile, allies in the EU seem to be taking the idea seriously, with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, promising to [welcome the UK back](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/30/macron-welcome-back-burnham-suggestion-uk-could-rejoin-eu?ref=europeans.today). In practical terms, it is not difficult to see why the idea of rejoining is tempting. The UK economy is languishing, in part due to the estimated 6% [cost of Brexit](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg75npqkq4o?ref=europeans.today) to GDP. The UK follows many EU rules in practice anyway, but lacks the unfettered market access that would come as a member. Brexit benefits have been hard to find outside ill-defined ideas of “taking back control” or rebuilding national self-confidence. Meanwhile, much has changed in the UK’s external environment. Russia invaded Ukraine just over a year after the UK ended formal security cooperation with the EU, and the second Trump administration appears to have little love for the US’s traditional Nato allies. Commonwealth countries, especially Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, appear to be moving [closer to the EU](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwly7vkke4jxo?ref=europeans.today) than they are to the UK. ### The limits of the reset The idea of rejoining the EU also reflects the limitations of the “reset” begun under Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer. Since the Brexit referendum in 2016, the most difficult challenge has been squaring UK and EU “red lines” for continued cooperation. For the EU, these focus on ensuring the integrity of the single market and the balance of rights and obligations. For the UK, they have involved an aversion to free movement and to the sovereignty cost of being subject to the rulings of the European Court of Justice. These constraints meant the options available to the UK were highly restrictive. Essentially, it can be either a rule-taker under the [“Norway model”](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46024649?ref=europeans.today) (membership of the single market via the European Economic Area), or agree a more limited free trade agreement as the UK eventually did. Bespoke arrangements are not on offer and never will be. This tension confronts pro-Europeans and soft Brexiteers most starkly. The same logic that made life difficult for former PM Theresa May continues to bedevil the reset. Efforts under Starmer to rebuild the relationship have turned out to be more difficult than expected. There has been slow progress on emissions trading and agri-food issues, and a [high price tag](https://www.euronews.com/2026/02/20/did-the-eu-charge-the-uk-billions-more-than-canada-to-join-its-defence-loan-scheme?ref=europeans.today) for the UK’s participation in EU programmes, such as the defence procurement scheme known as Safe. Faced with the prospect of decades of costly, piecemeal re-engagement through the reset or becoming a rule-taker via single-market membership from the outside, Burnham could well decide that the radical option with the greater payoff is more desirable. Politically, putting rejoining the EU on the table is more difficult to understand. Brexit produced a schism that successive governments have been keen not to reopen. It has proved to be a successful mobilisation tool on the right. Conservative PM Boris Johnson forged a broad coalition in December 2019 by claiming Brexit was under threat, and his successors have turned their attention to the European Court of Human Rights now that the EU is out of the picture. Burnham may believe that a clearer position could attract pro-EU constituencies that have moved to the Greens, the Liberal Democrats or the SNP. He may also have calculated that if Labour is going to be accused of betraying Brexit in any case – as Reform UK has claimed – then it makes sense to go the whole way. He may also be banking on the data which show that many UK citizens feel Brexit has gone badly, with a clear majority (57%) believing it to have been a mistake. But dislike of Brexit does not necessarily mean support for rejoining. Many citizens are just tired of the issue by now. ### The challenges of rejoining The process itself may be painful – and could throw up curveballs. The UK would need to negotiate the terms of re-accession and seek to regain its opt-out on joining the euro. It would also need to implement EU rules passed since Brexit, many of which the UK would not have supported in their current form – most notably the AI Act (amid fears it could stifle innovation). The UK would be rejoining from a position of weakness and would be subject to the demands of individual member states. Any of these could veto the decision. And while European leaders seem open to the idea now, enthusiasm for closer ties with the UK has a notable tendency to diminish over time. Fears that the UK could act as a disruptor, or even the risk of a second Brexit, might limit support for the UK rejoining. And political change in France and Germany could bring about governments less favourable to the prospect. It is early days – and Burnham’s words may come to nothing. But the conversation is unlikely to stop here. Through the mere suggestion, the prime minister has rekindled the prospect that one day Britain will return to the EU. Expect more mentions of rejoining in future as the UK yet again grapples with the trade-offs involved with EU membership. ──────────◌ EUROPEANS TODAY◌ 🔮 WHAT MATTERS NEXT... **🎯 WHAT TO WATCH NEXT:** ● Whether Burnham turns his promise to examine the options into a defined policy on the single market, customs union or full EU membership ahead of the next stage of UK-EU talks. ● Whether polling continues to distinguish between dissatisfaction with Brexit and willingness to accept the conditions that could accompany rejoining. ● Whether EU governments maintain their initial openness once questions over free movement, budget contributions, regulatory obligations and Britain’s former opt-outs move from political signalling to potential negotiations. ● Whether Reform UK and other opponents can turn Burnham’s shift into an effective electoral argument in Brexit-supporting constituencies. **🎯 MOST LIKELY OUTCOME:** ● Burnham is likely to keep several forms of closer EU alignment under consideration before committing Labour to full re-accession, particularly while the political and negotiating costs remain uncertain. **🎯 WHAT COULD CHANGE THE PICTURE:** ● A sustained shift in British public opinion towards rejoining on realistic accession terms – or resistance from influential EU member states – could materially alter the government’s calculations. **🎯 WHY THIS MATTERS:** ● Once full membership becomes a legitimate government option again, Britain’s European debate moves from managing Brexit towards deciding how much economic integration and political obligation voters are prepared to restore. ────────── [SIGN UP NOW ](#/portal/signup) TO RECEIVE TOMORROW’S BRIEFING IN YOUR INBOX. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/15/40/1540bec0-7154-4feb-b8e1-97f579155b08/content/images/2021/09/end-flat-1.png) ### **GOING FURTHER** - ###### [This year’s Labour conference was the party that delegates should have had in 2024](https://www.europeans.today/2026/09/30/this-years-labour-conference-was-the-party-that-delegates-should-have-had-in-2024/) | *EUROPEANS TODAY* - ###### [Burnham rules out a rejoin push as Makerfield puts Labour’s Brexit divide under pressure](https://www.europeans.today/2026/05/18/burnham-rules-out-a-rejoin-push-as-makerfield-puts-labours-brexit-divide-under-pressure/) | *EUROPEANS TODAY* - ###### [Andy Burnham: UK could ‘go all the way’ by rejoining EU](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/andy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu?ref=europeans.today) | *THE GUARDIAN* - ###### [No 10 gathering evidence on public support for UK rejoining EU](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/no-10-gathering-evidence-public-support-rejoining-eu-reversing-brexit?ref=europeans.today) | *THE GUARDIAN* - ###### [Macron says ‘welcome back’ to Burnham suggestion UK could rejoin EU](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/30/macron-welcome-back-burnham-suggestion-uk-could-rejoin-eu?ref=europeans.today) | *THE GUARDIAN* - ###### [Andy Burnham wants to review the UK’s relationship with the EU. What are the options?](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/andy-burnham-review-uk-relationship-with-eu-options?ref=europeans.today) | *THE GUARDIAN* - ###### [Will Andy Burnham reverse Brexit?](https://www.ft.com/content/16b9d519-faf6-4dbe-863a-5821e54021cc?ref=europeans.today) | *FINANCIAL TIMES* - ###### [Did the EU charge the UK billions more than Canada to join its defence loan scheme?](https://www.euronews.com/2026/02/20/did-the-eu-charge-the-uk-billions-more-than-canada-to-join-its-defence-loan-scheme?ref=europeans.today) | *EURONEWS* ### --- #### **Sources:** ###### ▪ This piece was originally published in [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com/burnham-has-said-the-unsayable-on-brexit-what-happens-now-293463?ref=europeans.today) and re-published in Europeans TODAY on 7 October 2026\. | The author writes in a personal capacity. ###### ▪ **Cover:** Dreamstime/[KORWEN](https://www.dreamstime.com/korwen%5Finfo?ref=europeans.today). --- ![The Conversation](https://counter.theconversation.com/content/293463/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic)