Burnham says Britain should consider closer EU ties, including rejoining bloc

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom should examine different options for its future relationship with the European Union, including the possibility of eventually rejoining the bloc.

Burnham said Britain should assess which form of relationship with Europe would best serve the country’s long-term interests.

He outlined several possible approaches. These include maintaining the current post-Brexit arrangements, joining a customs union with the EU, returning to the bloc’s single market or going further and seeking full EU membership.

Burnham said the different options should be examined on the basis of what is practical, along with their potential advantages and disadvantages. He is expected to set out his assessment of Britain’s long-term relationship with the EU around a planned UK-EU summit in November.

The prime minister has also described Brexit as having caused “more harm than good”. Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, ending more than four decades of membership and beginning a lengthy period of political and economic changes surrounding the country’s relationship with the bloc.

Burnham has previously said he would like Britain to rejoin the EU during his lifetime. His latest comments signal that his government is considering a range of possible future arrangements rather than announcing an immediate move back into the bloc.

The issue is likely to remain politically sensitive, as any move towards closer EU ties would reopen debate over the UK’s post-Brexit direction.