Burnham says Britain should consider options for EU ties, including rejoining

London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that Britain should consider options for its future relationship with the European Union, including ultimately rejoining the bloc, as he seeks to rebuild ties with Europe.

Options for EU ties

Speaking to the BBC after telling the Labour Party’s annual conference that Brexit had “done more harm than good”, Burnham said Britain should examine different models and decide which offered the best path forward.

“We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay,” he said. Britain could also consider a customs union, the EU single market “or we could go all the way”, he added.

Former Conservative finance minister George Osborne has argued for a customs union with the EU, while the Liberal Democrats have called for Britain to rejoin the bloc’s single market. Burnham said the options should be assessed according to “what is doable” and their advantages and disadvantages.

November summit

On Tuesday, Burnham said he would use a November UK-EU summit to outline options for Britain’s long-term relationship with the bloc. He replaced Keir Starmer in July and has previously said he would like Britain to rejoin the EU in his lifetime. He has also argued that Britain cannot afford another decade of uncertainty over the issue.

Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, ending more than four decades of membership. The vote triggered years of political upheaval, with successive governments grappling with its economic and diplomatic consequences.

“I am very clear, and I will say this bluntly: Brexit has caused more harm than good,” Burnham said. “So the question is, what do we do about that?”