Overview
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his Labour conference speech to reopen the possibility of rejoining the EU and said he could “go all the way,” suggesting a manifesto pledge as one route while refusing to rule out a referendum.
- Burnham travelled to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a planned UK–EU summit, with discussions expected to cover defence, security and the EU’s contested ‘Made in Europe’ rules that could affect UK exporters.
- Senior EU officials and leaders publicly signalled receptiveness to a UK return, with French finance minister Roland Lescure explicitly saying the British could “come back, any time,” and France and Spain offering warm responses.
- Commentary in the UK press has highlighted strains in the eurozone, especially for France, citing higher borrowing costs, elevated debt ratios and market risk indicators, but those claims come from opinion pieces and are not independently verified in the reporting.
- Any move to rejoin would require lengthy negotiations over customs, trade and free movement and would likely need clear democratic legitimacy from voters; domestic politics, public opinion and trade rules will determine the timing and feasibility.