UK Prime Minister Burnham Says All Options Open for Future EU Relationship
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the United Kingdom will consider a range of options, from maintaining the current arrangement to rejoining EU structures, and plans to present them later this year.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC that the United Kingdom will examine a spectrum of possibilities for its future relationship with the European Union, ranging from keeping the status quo to full membership. He said the government will seek a national consensus on a single long-term option, though he did not specify how that consensus would be measured.
Speaking at Labour’s annual conference, Burnham cited proposals such as a customs union, participation in the single market, or a combination of both, and indicated that a summit with EU leaders will be scheduled before the end of the year to outline these options. The meeting, originally planned for July, was postponed after the resignation of his predecessor, Keir Starmer.
Burnham argued that the 2016 Brexit vote had weakened the UK’s economy and reduced control over immigration and trade, stating that “Brexit has done more harm than good.” He added that the government intends to assess the pros and cons of each option and present a clear path forward.
The proposal has drawn criticism from Reform UK, whose deputy leader Richard Tice accused Burnham of trying to “sneak us back into Brussels via the back door.” Brussels officials have indicated they will not engage in detailed talks until the UK clarifies its policy stance.
Analysts at Bloomberg Economics estimate that Brexit has cost the UK between 2% and 4% of GDP, and that closer ties with the EU could recover up to 1.2 percentage points of output. The government’s next steps will focus on defining the preferred model and securing political agreement before the upcoming summit.