LONDON: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government could consider rejoining the European Union as it weighs a fundamental change in the country's relationship with the bloc.
Burnham told the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool on Tuesday that the Brexit settlement negotiated by the Conservatives had done "more harm than good." He said he would set out "what I believe the different options are for Britain's long-term relationship with our European partners" at a U.K.-EU summit later this year.
In a BBC interview broadcast Wednesday, Burnham said the options included a customs union, an idea raised by former Chancellor George Osborne, and closer single market ties, as proposed by the Liberal Democrats at their party conference.
"Or we could go all the way," he said.
"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.
Burnham's predecessor as Labour leader, Keir Starmer, had promised not to rejoin the EU's single market or customs union. Burnham's government will keep to that position until the next general election, but his remarks set up a push to reshape the relationship after voters go to the polls.
The opposition Conservatives quickly criticized the shift. Deputy leader Alex Burghart said: "You cannot trust a word Andy Burnham says. Just a few weeks ago he said he wanted to move on from the Brexit arguments and now he is dragging Britain back into them by floating the prospect of rejoining the EU."
Britain voted to leave the EU in a June 2016 referendum, with about 52% backing Brexit and 48% opposed. The country formally left the bloc in January 2020 and exited the single market and customs union at the end of that year, when a transition period ended. A trade deal between the two sides took effect in 2021.
The single market allows goods, services, capital and people to move freely among member countries. A customs union removes tariffs on trade among members and sets a common tariff on imports from outside the group. Membership in either generally requires accepting EU rules, which has been a central point of contention in Britain's Brexit debate.
Starmer, who led Labour to power in 2024, pursued what he called a "reset" with the EU. In May 2025, London and Brussels announced agreements on defense and security cooperation and on easing some trade barriers, including for food and agricultural products, while ruling out a return to the single market or customs union.
