Brexiteers accused the Labour leader of looking to the past, not the future and the opportunities made possible by leaving the EU.

Former Cabinet Minister Sir John Redwood said: “Rejoining the EU means trampling on our biggest ever democratic vote.It would bring higher taxes, slower growth and more unwanted laws like last time. Back to the seventies to go bankrupt with Labour.”

“Britain needs a government focused on addressing the challenges we face, not Labour ministers blaming everyone else for the mess they’ve left the country in and who are desperate to surrender powers and money to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.”

Mr Burnham was pressed on his Brexit plans as he flew to New York for his first United Nations General Assembly as Prime Minister.

He said: “Our focus at the moment is on a UK-EU summit which we hope will take place later this year.

“My immediate priority is to build on the good work that Keir did in rebuilding bridges.

“Because those bridges were broken in the early part of this decade, and Keir did a good job in re-establishing that relationship.

“What we have got to do is now go to the next level in terms of reaching practical agreement that will further boost the British economy.”

Referring to rejoining the EU, he added: “The other issues you discuss… they are for another day.”

Tory MP Wendy Morton said: “Andy Burnham came to power with no plan and no idea how to fix our broken economy or welfare system and fund our defence. Now it seems he is taking a leaf out of the Liberal Democrats’ book and looking to blame a vote that happened a decade ago for the problems he and his party have caused. On this, like so many things, he seems increasingly like Continuity Keir.”

Mr Burnham has previously said he wants Britain to rejoin the EU “within my lifetime”, although he later rowed back, saying he was not proposing doing so and respected the 2016 referendum.

But he warned the EU’s “Made in Europe” measures could hurt British firms and supply chains.

“I will, in a constructive spirit, put on the table some of our concerns towards those things, at the same time as working towards what we hope will be a successful EU-UK summit later this year.”

Mark Francois MP, chairman of the European Research Group, said: “You only have to read Andy Burnham’s book, ‘Head North’, which he co-authored with Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotherham in 2024, to realise that he is slavishly pro-the EU and wants to rejoin it.

“However, just as he did during the Makerfield by-election, he wants to mask this, for fear of alienating Leave voters. Make no mistake, despite the referendum, Burnham wants to take us back into the EU, if he is given half a chance.”

Andy Burnham provokes Brexiteer fury as he opens door to rejoin plan

Andy Burnham has reignited Britain’s long-running Brexit argument after declining to rule out a future Labour manifesto commitment to rejoin the European Union.

The Prime Minister’s comments have prompted criticism from Brexit-supporting politicians and campaigners, while supporters of closer European integration have interpreted them as a significant change in the political debate.

However, Burnham has not announced a policy to take Britain back into the EU. Instead, when asked whether he could rule out including a commitment to rejoin the bloc in Labour’s next general election manifesto, he said the question was “for another day”.

His immediate focus, he said, was on rebuilding Britain’s relationship with the EU and securing practical agreements that could benefit the UK economy.

That distinction is important.

Britain remains outside the European Union, and the government’s current policy continues to reject immediate re-entry. But Burnham’s refusal to close the door completely has nevertheless brought the question of Brexit’s long-term future back into mainstream political debate.

Burnham’s carefully worded answer

Burnham was questioned about the possibility of rejoining the EU while travelling to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Asked directly whether he could rule out a pledge to rejoin the EU appearing in Labour’s next manifesto, he declined to do so.

Instead, he said the issue was a question for the future and emphasised the importance of repairing relationships with European countries after what he described as a turbulent decade.

His immediate priority is a UK-EU summit expected later this year, alongside negotiations covering trade, security, energy and other areas of cooperation.

The wording leaves considerable political space.

It does not amount to a promise that Labour will campaign for EU membership at the next general election. Nor does it establish a timetable for accession.

It does, however, differ from the much firmer position taken by the previous Labour leadership.

A departure from Starmer’s position

Keir Starmer had repeatedly committed Labour to not rejoining the EU, the single market or customs union.

As recently as June, Starmer said he stood by Labour’s manifesto pledge not to return Britain to the EU.

Burnham’s position is therefore notable because he has previously expressed a more sympathetic view of EU membership.

Before becoming Prime Minister, Burnham had said that he wanted Britain to rejoin the EU within his lifetime. But during the Makerfield by-election campaign, he adopted a more cautious position, arguing that Britain should not continually reopen the Brexit argument.

That earlier caution remains relevant to understanding his latest comments.

Burnham has not simply announced that Brexit should be reversed. Instead, he appears to be separating the immediate question of improving relations with Europe from the longer-term question of membership.

That gives him room to pursue closer cooperation without making an immediate commitment to overturn the result of the 2016 referendum.

The first priority is a closer relationship

Burnham has already been moving towards closer engagement with European governments.

On September 18, he met Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Manchester and said Britain wanted to take “further steps” to deepen its relationship with Europe.

Downing Street said the two governments discussed cooperation with the EU, security, trade and the UK’s relationship with Ireland.

The government is also preparing for a long-awaited UK-EU summit.

Potential areas of discussion include youth mobility, defence, energy and economic cooperation.

Burnham has described the goal as a practical relationship that can deliver economic benefits rather than an immediate attempt to reopen every question settled by Brexit.

That approach could allow Labour to pursue closer cooperation while maintaining the legal and political reality that Britain remains outside the EU.

Why Brexit supporters are concerned

For Brexit-supporting politicians, however, Burnham’s refusal to rule out rejoining is significant because it potentially changes the political argument.

The Conservatives and Reform UK have both built substantial parts of their political identity around preserving Brexit.

Nigel Farage has repeatedly argued that Britain should use its freedom outside the EU rather than gradually move towards closer integration.

From that perspective, a future Labour manifesto promise to seek EU membership would represent a fundamental change in the direction of British policy.

The response has consequently been sharp.

Opposition politicians have accused Labour of reopening a division that they believe voters had already settled.

Yet the political debate is more complicated than a simple attempt to reverse the referendum.

A future decision to rejoin would require negotiations with the EU and agreement from its member states. Britain could not simply decide unilaterally to become a member again.

Public opinion has also changed

One reason the issue is returning to political debate is that public opinion on Brexit has shifted since 2016.

Professor Sir John Curtice recently told The Independent that support for rejoining the EU had reached its highest level since the Brexit vote.

The same report noted that Curtice had cautioned that a future referendum could still be closely contested and that public opinion could move depending on how the argument was presented.

The Independent subsequently reported that 61% supported rejoining in polling cited by Curtice.

These figures are politically important but need careful interpretation.

Support for rejoining in a hypothetical poll does not necessarily mean voters want an immediate referendum or that they would support every condition attached to EU membership.

The terms of any future accession would also matter.

Britain could not simply recreate its former membership arrangements automatically.

Rejoining would be very different from closer cooperation

This is one of the most important distinctions in the debate.

Britain can negotiate individual agreements with the EU without becoming a member.

It can cooperate on defence, energy, scientific research, youth exchanges and trade.

Rejoining would be a much more extensive constitutional and economic decision.

EU membership involves accepting the rights and obligations of membership and negotiating the terms of accession with the existing member states.

That means Burnham’s current policy of seeking closer relations should not be confused with a decision to rejoin.

His refusal to rule out a future manifesto commitment is better understood as leaving the long-term option open.

Tony Blair adds pressure

The issue became even more prominent on September 24 when former Prime Minister Tony Blair called for Britain to seek a route back towards formal EU membership within the next decade.

A new report from the Tony Blair Institute argued for a longer-term strategy aimed at rebuilding Britain’s relationship with Europe and ultimately reconsidering membership.

Blair’s intervention is politically significant because it puts additional pressure on Burnham from within Labour’s broader political tradition.

The former prime minister has long been associated with a pro-European position.

His argument is that Britain should not simply attempt to improve the Brexit arrangements but should eventually consider a more fundamental relationship with the EU.

Burnham has not adopted Blair’s timetable.

That distinction is important.

Economic arguments are at the centre

The renewed debate is also being driven by economic considerations.

Supporters of closer EU relations argue that reducing trade barriers could help British businesses, particularly those heavily dependent on European markets.

Critics of Brexit have repeatedly pointed to additional administrative costs and barriers to trade created by Britain’s departure from the single market and customs union.

Brexit supporters, meanwhile, argue that the UK gained greater control over immigration, regulation and trade policy and should use those freedoms rather than seek to reverse the decision.

The economic question therefore remains closely connected to the constitutional one.

Burnham has so far emphasised practical economic cooperation rather than reopening membership negotiations.

Reform UK is likely to make Brexit central to its response

For Reform UK, Burnham’s comments provide an opportunity to draw a sharp distinction between itself and Labour.

Nigel Farage has consistently argued that Britain’s departure from the EU should lead to greater regulatory and political independence.

A Labour government that refuses to rule out rejoining could therefore become a target for Reform’s Brexit-focused campaigning.

The party could argue that voters face a choice between maintaining Britain’s post-Brexit independence and moving towards closer European integration.

That does not mean every voter will interpret the issue in those terms.

Economic conditions, immigration, taxation, public services and other domestic issues remain important factors in electoral behaviour.

Nevertheless, Brexit provides Reform with a clear dividing line.

The Conservatives face a similar question

The Conservative Party also has to decide how strongly it wants to make Brexit part of its political identity.

The party supported Brexit and remains committed to Britain’s departure from the EU.

But the Conservatives also compete with Reform for voters who favour tighter immigration controls and greater national sovereignty.

A Labour government opening a long-term discussion about EU membership could therefore create pressure on both opposition parties to define their positions.

The Conservatives may emphasise the importance of respecting the referendum result, while Reform could advocate an even more extensive interpretation of Brexit.

The political competition would then be about what Britain should do with its post-Brexit status rather than whether the original referendum should have happened.

What Burnham has actually committed to

Despite the dramatic reaction, it is important to distinguish between three separate positions.

First, Burnham’s government is seeking closer practical relations with the European Union.

Second, Burnham has declined to rule out a future Labour manifesto commitment to rejoin.

Third, there is currently no announced government policy committing Britain to begin an accession process.

Those distinctions prevent the latest development from being overstated.

The political significance lies mainly in the fact that the question is now being left open.

Under Starmer, Labour explicitly ruled out rejoining the EU. Under Burnham, the long-term question is no longer being closed off.

That represents a change in political language even though it is not yet a change in formal membership policy.

Brexit enters another phase

The argument over Brexit has therefore entered a different stage.

The 2016 referendum settled whether Britain should leave the EU, and Britain formally left in 2020.

The debate now concerns what kind of relationship Britain should have with Europe in the years ahead.

Burnham’s approach is currently focused on closer cooperation, practical agreements and rebuilding trust.

But by refusing to rule out a future manifesto commitment to rejoin, he has also left open a much larger question.

That has predictably attracted criticism from Brexit supporters and encouragement from some pro-European figures.

The eventual answer, however, will depend on future Labour policy, negotiations with the EU, public opinion and the political circumstances surrounding the next general election.

For now, Burnham has not promised to take Britain back into the European Union.

What he has done is refuse to permanently close the door — and that alone has been enough to bring one of Britain’s most divisive political questions back to the centre of Westminster debate.

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