Ten years after the Brexit referendum, the hypothesis of a rapprochement between London and Brussels is returning to the British political debate. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has even raised the possibility of reintegration of the United Kingdom into the EU. If the prospect of a "Breturn" still seems distant, "there are certainly much better things to do than maintain the status quo", believes Sébastien Maillard, special advisor at the Jacques Delors Institute.

Published on: 02/10/2026 - 21:36

After Brexit, then “Bregret” (the regret of Brexit), now “Breturn”? Labor Prime Minister Andy Burnham raised on Wednesday September 30 the possibility of the United Kingdom returning to the EU, a first for a British head of government since the 2016 earthquake.

Andy Burnham cited several scenarios: the status quo, a return to the customs union, to the single European market, "or go all the way", that is to say rejoin the EU.

“Welcome back,” Emmanuel Macron reacted at a press conference from Madrid. But the little smile displayed by the French president also reflected a certain form of satisfaction, tinged with irony, ten years after a referendum which led to Brexit in 2020, the effects of which are far from positive for the United Kingdom.

See alsoBrexit: ten years of chaos and regrets?

According to a recent YouGov poll, 59% of British people would now be in favor of a return among the 27, while only 30% defend the status quo.

Officially, the European Commission is ready to "examine the options" that London "could propose", according to one of its spokespersons, but the EU remains cautious. There is no question of offering à la carte membership in the United Kingdom.

Despite decades of membership in the European Community and then the EU, London had not participated in the euro or the Schengen area, and had even negotiated during the time of Margaret Thatcher a rebate on its budgetary contribution.

The fact remains that a new dynamic seems to be underway on both sides of the Channel while a United Kingdom-EU summit is expected at the end of November. What form could this rapprochement take? Is the prospect of London returning among the 27 credible? Elements of response with Sébastien Maillard, special advisor at the Jacques Delors Institute.

France 24: Why did the Labor Party decide to put the question of Brexit back on the table?

Sébastien Maillard: The Labor Party has lost many pro-European votes to the center and the Greens in a British political landscape that is much more fragmented than before. Raising the prospect of a new membership is a way of recovering these votes and attracting British youth. However, Andy Burnham keeps other options on the table so as not to offend supporters of the status quo. In short, winning new voters without losing any in view of the 2029 elections. This could also make this election a de facto referendum on Europe.

Today, a majority of British people regret Brexit. Many studies have demonstrated that the country's growth would be more dynamic if it had not left the EU. From a rational point of view, the British economy has everything to gain from integrating into the European market. Furthermore, London can only note that the “special relationship” with Washington is ultimately not so special. With Donald Trump, the transatlantic relationship has become much more erratic.

It is therefore tactically clever on the part of the British Prime Minister but it is not politically realistic. The Europeans will really take the possibility of a new membership seriously only if British opinion is lastingly and massively in favor of this option. Furthermore, Labor will have to win the 2029 elections and include membership in their program to have a mandate for new negotiations with Brussels.

The European Commission remains very cautious for the moment. Do you think the UK is prepared to accept less favorable terms than those it enjoyed before Brexit?

The United Kingdom sees membership as a way to increase its growth where the European Union has become a real power project. The EU of today is no longer that of 2016. It is evolving in a world undergoing geopolitical change: a very strong Russian threat, Chinese aggression on the commercial level and acute transatlantic uncertainty.

The United Kingdom will also have to adhere to the new European design: defense, reindustrialization, the development of sovereign capabilities, strategic autonomy... Will the British be able to hear this? I don't know. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether the 27 are ready to hear about a new membership right now. The referendum took place ten years ago but Brexit only came into force in 2020. In English, we would say it is "too big, too soon".

Also read “Considerable damage”: ten years later, Brexit continues to weigh down the British economy

For the moment, the United Kingdom and the European Union would be much more interested in working on concrete cooperation projects, in rebuilding their industrial capacity together, rather than relaunching divisive and passionate debates on the question of membership.

The EU and Canada are currently in the midst of a rapprochement phase through a new status of “associate member” whose contours are still unclear. Could London also follow this path?

London watched with great interest and also a little embarrassment the reception given to Prime Minister Mark Carney in Strasbourg. Ultimately, the UK could find itself further away from the EU than Canada. If the return to full membership seems risky today, there are certainly much better things to do than maintain the status quo for the United Kingdom, a nuclear power, member of the G7, former member of the EU and European country in all respects.

What is clear is that the European Union is becoming the centerpiece of a new international order between powers sharing the same relationship with the law and the same respect for multilateralism. Countries aligned on the same principles and values ​​in the face of the return of the Chinese, Russian or American empires. In this European political, economic and security area, the United Kingdom would really have its place.

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