Andy Burnham has said rejoining the European Union is among the options on the table for Britain’s future relationship with Europe, confirming he would like to see the UK rejoin in his lifetime.
Asked whether he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU, the prime minister said: “I want to look at the options, and I am serious.”
He added: “There’s no point me denying it. I’ve said I would like to see Britain rejoin in my lifetime. But it’s not necessarily the case that that is now, because we need to understand what would be the nature of how we would look at the different options.”
Burnham set out a range of possible routes, from keeping the current arrangement to full membership. “We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay”, he told the BBC.
“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 single market, or we could go all the way.”
He said each option would need to be judged on “what is doable and what would be the pros and cons of each”.
“What I am saying is, it’s not good enough to leave that question just hanging”, Burnham said. “Let’s be clear about where we want Britain to go in the next decade, and I’ve asked people to join with me on that.”
He added: “The country cannot have a decade like the one we’ve just had, where we’ve had too much drift, too much division. I am very clear, and I will say this bluntly: Brexit has caused more harm than good.”
Britain leaves the European Union after 47 years of membership
In his keynote speech to Labour conference, Burnham said he would use a UK-EU summit later this year to set out what he believes the options are for Britain’s long-term relationship with Europe.
The prime minister told Labour conference: “Later this year, there will be a UK-EU summit where one of the issues on the agenda will be how we best work together on immigration.
“And beyond that we will work to secure gains for our industries most harmed by Brexit. Conference, these are important concrete steps.
“But they are not enough. I say this to you and the country. We will not give Britain the clear path we need into the rest of the century until we decide on a long-term relationship with what is still our largest market.
“I cannot say to you truthfully that where we are is good enough. Brexit has done more harm than good. We need to restore a higher level of growth and prosperity for Britain.
“So, I will take the opportunity around the summit to lay out to you, to lay out to the country, what I believe the different options are for Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners.”
