What unfolded in Madrid on Wednesday was a warm welcome for an idea that Britain’s own prime minister had offered with caution. Andy Burnham, who took office in July after Keir Starmer resigned, told the Labour conference in Liverpool and then BBC Radio 4 that rejoining the European Union is one option for the country, if the pros outweigh the cons. French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, meeting in the Spanish capital, answered almost at once.
Macron’s reply was two words in English: “Welcome back.” He went on in French that if the British want to return and the prime minister is moving that way, it is “very good news both for his country and for Europeans.” There was a catch. Macron said Britain cannot take an a la carte approach while staying outside, and cannot pick the freedoms of the union that suit it and leave the rest.
Sanchez was more openly affectionate. He called Brexit “a huge loss, both for the British population and for the whole European project,” and said Spain would applaud a return and “open its arms again to a brotherly people.”
What Burnham actually said
At heart, Burnham’s language was measured. On Radio 4 he said Britain could stay as it is, and that this is definitely an option if people think it is the right place to stay. Other paths included rejoining the single market or a customs union, and one was to “go all the way.” At the conference on Tuesday he had said Brexit “has done more harm than good,” and promised to set out different options closer to a UK-EU summit in November.
He has tied any move to public opinion and the next election, due by August 2029. For now he remains bound by the 2024 Labour manifesto, which ruled out rejoining the EU and the single market. Reform UK figures reportedly called his remarks a betrayal.
The politics are delicate. Recent surveys suggest most Britons back rejoining, but the idea of adopting the euro or paying into the EU budget would likely provoke fierce backlash. The UK is also unlikely to win the exemptions it enjoyed as a member.
Brussels stays careful
The European Commission struck a calmer note. Spokesperson Balazs Ujvari called the UK “a close and valued partner” and said it is for the British government to set out how it wants to develop the relationship. The Commission, he added, remains open to engaging on the options put forward. Nobody in Europe has offered terms.
Preparations for an EU-UK summit in Brussels in November were already under way. It was postponed from July after Starmer’s resignation. The agenda is expected to cover linking EU and UK carbon markets, a deal on food and agriculture trade, and a youth mobility scheme for travel and work.
Ties have improved since Labour won power in 2024, but friction remains. The EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, which favours local sources in public investment decisions, has drawn criticism from partners including the UK, Japan and Switzerland. Earlier this year the UK sought a seat on EU committees dealing with farming and food standards and with carbon and electricity markets. The Commission replied that the current arrangement gives it no such right, and several member states opposed British involvement in EU decision-making.
Sources
- UK PM Burnham Floats Rejoining EU; France, Spain Welcome
- France, Spain welcome idea of UK rejoining EU
