British Prime Minister Andy Burnum said on Wednesday that Britain should study the options available for its future relationship with the European Union, including rejoining the bloc, at a time when he is intensifying his efforts to rebuild relations with Europe. Burnum's statements came after he indicated at the annual conference of the Labor Party that Britain's exit from the European Union "brought more harm than good," calling for an evaluation of different models for the long-term relationship with the continent.

Published on: 09/30/2026 - 09:17 Last updated: 09/30/2026 - 09:59

Prime Minister Andy Burnum considered, on Wednesday, in London, that Britain should open a discussion about options for its future relationship with the European Union, without ruling out the possibility of returning to its membership, as part of his accelerated efforts to reform relations with the continent.

Burnum explained to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the day after he said at the annual Labor Party conference that leaving the European Union “brought more harm than good,” that London is required to study multiple models for its long-term relationship with Europe and choose the most appropriate one for the future.

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The British Prime Minister added, "We can remain as we are. This is certainly an option, if people believe that this is the appropriate situation to continue in." He continued, "We can look at what George Osborne said about the customs union. We can look at what the Lib Dems said at their conference about the single market, or we can go all the way."

Options offered: a customs union and a single market

For his part, the former Finance Minister in the Conservative Party government, George Osborne, called on Britain to seek to establish a customs union with the European Union, while the Liberal Democrats called on Britain to rejoin the Union's single market. Birnam said options should be evaluated based on “what is possible” and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The legacy of Brexit and ongoing political crises

Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, ending a membership that lasted more than 40 years and beginning political crises that have continued for years, as successive governments faced the economic and diplomatic consequences of that vote.

Burnum said on Tuesday that he would use the November summit between Britain and the European Union to clarify the options available for the country's long-term relationship with the bloc.

The uncertainty cannot be sustained

Burnum, who replaced Keir Starmer in July, has previously said that he would like Britain to rejoin the European Union during his lifetime. Burnam expressed his opinion that Britain cannot afford the continuation of uncertainty over this issue for another ten years. “I am very clear, and I will say this frankly: Brexit has caused more harm than good,” he said. “So the question is: What do we do about it?”

France 24/Reuters

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