Overview
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his Labour conference speech to say he could “go all the way” to rejoining the EU and put a formal review of UK‑EU options on the table, leaving referendum and manifesto routes open.
- Senior EU figures including Emmanuel Macron and Spain’s Pedro Sánchez publicly said the UK would be welcome back, and France’s finance minister Roland Lescure explicitly urged the UK to ‘come all the way’.
- Analysts and former EU officials warn rejoining would follow the Article 49 accession process, would require unanimous member‑state approval and would probably forfeit past UK opt‑outs such as the rebate and monetary exemptions.
- Domestic reaction has been sharply divided: petitions and a poll showing roughly 49% support for rejoining have increased pressure on ministers, while Conservatives and prominent Brexiteers including Sir Jacob Rees‑Mogg condemn the proposal as a betrayal of Leave voters.
- No formal application, manifesto commitment or referendum has been made yet, so attention now focuses on the upcoming UK‑EU summit and the government’s responses in the scheduled Westminster Hall debate as key next steps.