UK PM Burnham says Britain could ‘go all the way’ back into EU
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled that Britain could “go all the way” back into the European Union, despite previously saying he had no intention of rerunning the Brexit debate. Speaking at the Labour Party annual conference in Liverpool last week, Burnham said nothing was off the table regarding EU-UK relations and that Brexit had “done more harm than good”. Burnham, who is in a honeymoon period with Labour topping opinion polls at under 30 percent, has announced policies including nationalising utilities and pension reform, described as the most radical in a generation. However, he offered no timetable or specifics for rejoining the EU, and said there would be no moves towards EU membership before the next UK election due in 2029. Burnham warned that Britain would not have a clear path into the rest of the century until it decided on a long-term relationship with its largest market. While rejoining the EU could take a decade, his remarks surprised many and left pro-European columnists giddy with optimism over the weekend.
