Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham waves after he delivered his Leader's Speech during the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo)
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Sept. 30 that Britain should consider options for its future relationship with the European Union, including ultimately rejoining the bloc, as he steps up efforts to rebuild ties with Europe.
Speaking to the BBC after telling the Labour Party’s annual conference that Brexit had “done more harm than good,” Burnham said Britain should examine different models for its long-term relationship with Europe and decide which offered the best path forward.
“We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay,” Burnham told the broadcaster.
“We could look at what George Osborne has said about a customs union. We could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about single market, or we could go all the way.”
Osborne, a former Conservative finance minister, has argued that Britain should pursue a customs union with the EU, while the Liberal Democrats have called for Britain to rejoin the bloc’s single market.
Burnham said the pros and cons of each option need to be assessed, and the country needs to “be clear about where we want Britain to go in the next decade.”
Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, ending more than four decades of membership and triggering years of political upheaval, with successive governments grappling with the economic and diplomatic consequences of that vote.
On Sept. 29, Burnham said he would use a November U.K.-EU summit to outline options for Britain’s long-term relationship with the bloc.
Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer in July, has previously said he would like Britain to rejoin the European Union in his lifetime. He has argued that Britain could not afford another decade of uncertainty over the issue.
“I am very clear, and I will say this bluntly: Brexit has caused more harm than good,” he said. “So the question is, what do we do about that?”
Beyond European diplomacy, Burnham addressed mounting public anxiety over a looming winter energy crisis and severe cost-of-living pressures as households face surging utility bills. Acknowledging the acute financial strain on families, the prime minister stressed that his government is exploring potential relief measures, though he warned that public finances remain heavily constrained.
“The question I’ve got is, ‘how many can I afford?’” Burnham said, balancing public relief demands against fiscal discipline.
“What can we do given the state of the public finances? And people wouldn’t thank me for making unfunded payments that then cause pressure on mortgages, and we’ve seen that in the past and we’re not going back there.”
Burnham argued that while short-term financial breathing room is difficult to scale without triggering broader economic risks, structural overhauls are essential to resolving the country’s utility and economic vulnerabilities.
“We will work hard to take that pressure off people’s shoulders,” he added.
“But I would be the first to say it’s hard.”
