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Photograph: Jack Taylor/Reuters     (andy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       Andy Burnham said he would lay out the different options for Britain’s long-term relationship with the EU before the UK-EU summit in November. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Reuters       (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/andyburnham) Andy Burnham     Andy Burnham: UK could ‘go all the way’ by rejoining EU   PM says he is looking at all options and ministers will examine ‘what is doable’ and the ‘pros and cons’ (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/sep/30/andy-burnham-eu-brexit-rejoin-customs-union-fuel-duty-budget-latest-news-updates) UK politics live – latest updates            (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/aletha-adu) Aletha Adu Political correspondent   Wed 30 Sep 2026 03.41 EDT  Last modified on Wed 30 Sep 2026 09.14 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Andy Burnham: UK could ‘go all the way’ by rejoining EU&body=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/andy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          Andy Burnham has opened the door to the UK rejoining the EU, saying Britain could “go all the way”, as he prepares to reconsider Labour’s post-Brexit red lines. The prime minister used a series of interviews after (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/29/andy-burnham-vows-long-term-relationship-eu-labour-conference-speech) his emotional Labour conference speech to spell out how wide-ranging his consideration of Britain’s future with Brussels could be because Brexit had caused “more harm than good”.  (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/andy-burnham-review-uk-relationship-with-eu-options)  Andy Burnham wants to review the UK’s relationship with the EU. What are the options?     Read more        Burnham said the government could keep the current arrangements, seek a customs union, return to the single market or “go all the way” in what would be full EU membership. Speaking to the BBC, he said ministers would examine “what is doable” and the “pros and cons” of each option. Asked whether he wanted the UK to rejoin the bloc, the prime minister told Radio 4’s Today programme he wanted to “look at the options”. He added: “We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay. We could look at what George Osborne has said about a customs union, we could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about the single market or we could go all the way.” It is a significant shift from the position (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/labour) Labour fought the 2024 election on. Its manifesto explicitly ruled out returning to the EU single market or customs union, as well as restoring freedom of movement.       (Andy Burnham)   (andy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       Burnham told the Labour conference in Liverpool that Brexit had caused ‘more harm than good’. Photograph: Michael Bowles/Shutterstock  A customs union would bring Britain much closer to the EU on trade in goods. The UK and EU would apply the same tariffs to imports from elsewhere, removing trade barriers businesses have faced after (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/eu-referendum) Brexit . But it would not on its own put Britain back inside the wider single market or remove every border check. If Britain were to rejoin the single market, it would be a significant step with the country having to accept closer alignment with EU rules. “There are clearly options that need to be considered, and we have to look at what is doable and what would be the pros and cons of each,” Burnham told the BBC. Although Burnham has not set out any timetables or specifics, to “go all the way” would mean considering EU membership. He went further in his interviews on Wednesday than his conference speech in which he told delegates Britain could not keep avoiding a decision about its long-term relationship with its largest trading partner. The prime minister has vowed to set out different choices facing the country around the time of the UK-EU summit in November. “We’ve been in a rut. The country hasn’t been working for people as it should,” he told BBC Breakfast. The summit was originally supposed to take place in July under Keir Starmer but was postponed after his resignation. (andy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu.html#EmailSignup-skip-link-12) skip past newsletter promotion     Free newsletter | Every weekday    Sign up to First Edition  Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters  ()   Enter your email  ()   Sign up      after newsletter promotion   While Britain will take part in the Erasmus + scheme again in 2027, the EU has authorised talks at the summit on closer electricity-market links, with negotiations on food trade and youth mobility still under way. Burnham argued in his conference speech that leaving the EU had weakened Britain’s cooperation with EU countries on migration and said the summit would assess how the two parties could work more closely. “We will not give Britain the clear path we need into the rest of the century until we decide on a long-term relationship with what is still our largest market,” Burnham said in his speech on Tuesday in Liverpool. “I cannot say to you that where we are is good enough. Brexit has done more harm than good. So I will take the opportunity around the [UK-EU] summit to lay out to you, to lay out to the country, what I believe are the different options for Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners. And there are different options.” The prime minister was more cautious when pressed on help households could receive in the budget given the looming winter and rising energy and fuel costs. Burnham said he was considering “everything that might help people” including whether to scrap panned fuel duty increases. “The question I’ve got is: ‘How many can I afford?’” he told BBC Breakfast. The chancellor, John Healey, has said “fiscal discipline” will be at the heart of his budget despite facing calls to offer people more help with the cost of living.         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/andyburnham) Andy Burnham  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/eu) European Union  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe  (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/labour-conference-2026) Labour conference 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/trade-policy) Trade policy  (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/eu-referendum) Brexit  (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/labour) Labour  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=Andy Burnham: UK could ‘go all the way’ by rejoining EU&body=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/andy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fpolitics%2F2026%2Fsep%2F30%2Fandy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu&type=article&internalpagecode=politics/2026/sep/30/andy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                  More on this story                      More on this story                     (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/what-papers-say-andy-burnham-speech-labour-conference)    ()      ‘Oozing everyman charm’: what the papers say about Andy Burnham’s speech   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 08:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 1h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/30/andy-burnham-review-uk-relationship-with-eu-options)    ()      Andy Burnham wants to review the UK’s relationship with the EU. What are the options?   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 01:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 8h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/29/burnhams-emotional-solo-act-had-labour-in-raptures-but-his-promises-will-take-time-to-come-good)    ()      Burnham’s emotional solo act had Labour in raptures – but his promises will take time to come good   (Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 01:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 20h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/29/andy-burnham-vows-long-term-relationship-eu-labour-conference-speech)    ()      Burnham gambles on radical progressive plan to help Britain ‘rise again’   (Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 02:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 19h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/29/andy-burnham-push-ahead-electoral-reform-plans)    ()      Andy Burnham expected to say he will push ahead with electoral reform plans   (Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 05:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 1d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/andy-burnham-business-labour-party-conference-budget-tax-rises)    ()      ‘Visible and engaged’: Burnham in listening mode with businesses at Labour party conference   (Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 07:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 1d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/29/andy-burnham-labour-conference-pension-triple-lock-social-care)    ()      Burnham to signal willingness to look at scrapping pension triple lock to fund social care   (Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 04:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 1d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/28/green-transition-uk-taxpayers-energy-secretary-miatta-fahnbulleh)    ()      Cost of green transition could be spread among UK taxpayers, energy secretary suggests   (Monday, September 28, 2026 at 03:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago                        Most viewed      Most viewed                                                               (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe   (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/americas) Americas  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/asia) Asia  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news) Australia  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/africa) Africa  (https://www.theguardian.com/inequality) Inequality  (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development) Global development       (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning (https://www.theguardian.com/info/2018/sep/17/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed) Sign up for our email     (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us) About us  (https://manage.theguardian.com/help-centre) Help  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/complaints-and-corrections) Complaints & corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us/contact) Contact us  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tip us off  (https://www.theguardian.com/securedrop) SecureDrop  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/privacy) Privacy policy  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/cookies) Cookie policy  (https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2026/07/22/STL_Global_Tax_Strategy_for_the_year_to_31_March_2027.pdf) Tax strategy  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-service) Terms & conditions   (https://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/a) All topics  (https://www.theguardian.com/index/contributors) All writers  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?INTCMP=DOTCOM_FOOTER_NEWSLETTER_US) Newsletters  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital newspaper archive  (https://bsky.app/profile/us.theguardian.com) Bluesky  (https://www.facebook.com/theguardian) Facebook  (https://www.instagram.com/guardian) Instagram  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/theguardian) LinkedIn  (https://www.threads.com/@guardian_us) Threads  (https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian) TikTok  (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGuardian) YouTube   (https://usadvertising.theguardian.com) Advertise with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs-us) Guardian Labs  (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://workwithus.theguardian.com/) Work with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibility-help) Accessibility settings         (andy-burnham-uk-could-go-all-the-way-rejoining-eu.html#top) Back to top      © 2026Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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