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4h ago

Burnham Opens Review of UK–EU Relationship That Could Include Rejoining

The move puts a future referendum or manifesto pledge on the table and forces Labour to rethink election timing and voter strategy.

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Andy Burnham with his wife Marie-France Van Heel after delivering his keynote speech to the Labour conference this week (Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham (R) speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral meeting at 10 Downing Street on September 03, 2026 in London, England. The French president is on a two-day visit to the UK, which included attending the inauguration of the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum in London on Wednesday. Today's bilateral talks with Macron mark the first meeting Burnham has hosted with a world leader at Downing Street since becoming prime minister in July. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Prime Minister Andy Burnham Hosts French President Emmanuel Macron At Downing Street
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 05: Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage addresses delegates during day two of the Reform UK party conference at National Exhibition Centre on September 05, 2026 in Birmingham, England. Reform UK enters its September 2026 annual party conference facing a recent dip in opinion polls, dropping to 22%–23% in national voting intention after peaking at 28% in May. For the first time in over 18 months, the party has slipped behind the Conservatives into third place in select polling, squeezed by a resurgent Labour Party under Prime Minister Andy Burnham and new competition on the right. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

Overview

  • This week at Labour conference Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government will review options for the UK’s long‑term ties with the EU and said rejoining the bloc and a referendum could be possible policy choices.
  • Sadiq Khan urged Labour to actively campaign for rejoin while Germany’s ambassador said Berlin would be a willing partner, signalling diplomatic openness in Brussels and Berlin.
  • Nigel Farage and leading Conservative figures warned the shift could boost Reform UK by turning Brexit into a campaign issue and by splitting the right‑of‑centre vote.
  • Post‑conference polls are mixed but show volatility: some trackers give Labour a renewed lead and indicate public scepticism about Brexit, while others keep Reform competitive, complicating any decision to call an early election.
  • Rejoining would require long negotiations over trade, customs and free movement and would likely need either a manifesto pledge or a referendum to secure democratic legitimacy, so the coming UK‑EU summit and the Holborn and St Pancras by‑election are seen as key tests of public and political response.