Brexit Ties Review
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says Brexit harmed Britain and urges EU ties review.
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Key Points
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The 2016 referendum result was close: 52% voted to leave the EU and 48% to remain.
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Burnham became emotional while vowing to keep the UK together, saying his opposition to its breakup was shaped by his father, who had died earlier that month. His remarks followed a memorandum from the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland seeking paths to independence or reunification with Ireland.
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Burnham had previously said he hoped the UK would rejoin the EU in his lifetime, but during his campaign to become the MP for Makerfield he said he wanted to avoid “re-running” the Brexit debate.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Brexit has done "more harm than good" and signaled Britain should reconsider its relationship with the European Union. At the Labour Party conference in September 2026, Burnham stated the country has suffered a decade of low growth and outlined potential options — from staying as-is to rejoining the single market, customs union, or the EU itself — to be discussed at a UK-EU summit in November CNBC TV18.
The remarks represent a significant departure from Labour's 2024 election promises, which ruled out rejoining the single market and customs union. Reuters reports Burnham has not endorsed a specific option, instead framing the summit discussion as an honest reassessment of what Brexit has cost Britain economically and politically.
A Shift From Labour's Brexit Stance
Burnham's comments mark a sharp break from his predecessor Keir Starmer's position. Labour's 2024 manifesto explicitly ruled out single market access, customs union membership, and freedom of movement. Burnham told BBC Radio 4 the UK could "go all the way" to rejoin the EU — language that signals openness to options previously deemed off-limits by the party The Guardian.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan publicly backed Burnham's position, calling Brexit "a disastrous act of national self-harm" in The Guardian. Khan argued Labour should explicitly make the case for rejoin. But party figures remain divided — some fear reopening the Brexit debate will resurrect the divisions that defined British politics after the 2016 referendum, which saw 52% vote Leave and 48% vote Remain Hexham Courant.
Economic Pain and the Pressure to Act
Burnham cited weak economic growth as the core reason for reassessing Brexit. He told conference Labour has inherited "a decade of low growth" tied directly to the rupture with Europe. CNBC TV18 reports that City Hall estimates London's economy is £30 billion smaller due to Brexit, with nearly 2 million fewer jobs across the UK overall.
The Prime Minister argued that Brexit has also failed to deliver on a core Leave campaign promise: tighter immigration control. Reuters notes Burnham positioned the November summit as a chance to present Brussels with a formal options paper, ranging from deepening single market ties to full EU membership, based on evidence of what works best for British prosperity CNBC TV18.
Farage and Reform Warn of Political Danger
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused Burnham of making a political mistake. Hexham Courant reported that Farage said opening the Brexit door amounts to disrespecting the 52% who voted Leave in 2016. Conservative opponents warn that revisiting the referendum question risks plunging Britain back into the bitter divisions that defined the post-2016 years Hexham Courant.
Jill Rutter of the Institute for Government told Reuters that Burnham's move represents a "big break" from Starmer while remaining cautious — by sticking to recognized EU frameworks rather than proposing novel arrangements. Public opinion has shifted: a June 2026 Survation poll found 55% of voters would support EU rejoin if a new referendum were held CNBC TV18.
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