British Prime Minister Andy Burnham raises the prospect of a Brexit debate

The new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has taken a clear position on the issue of Brexit: "Brexit has done more harm than good," he said in his first party conference speech as Labor leader about his country's exit from the EU, which was decided in a referendum in 2016. In the context of the next summit with the European Union, he therefore wants to present several options for a long-term relationship with the European partners.

Burnham has thus initiated a fundamental debate about his country's future relations with the European Union and has not ruled out a possible return to the EU. Burnham told the BBC on Wednesday that we have to examine what happens next without blinkers. The options ranged from maintaining the status quo to a customs union to a return to the EU internal market. "Or we could go all the way," he added, hinting at rejoining.

Burnham, who only replaced Keir Starmer as head of government in July, wants to outline options for the long-term relationship with the EU at a British-European summit in November. He has previously stated that he would like to see Britain rejoin the EU during his lifetime. The country cannot afford another decade of uncertainty on this issue, the prime minister said.

On June 23, 2016, a narrow majority of 51.9 percent of Britons voted for the United Kingdom to leave the EU. Brexit was completed at the end of January 2020, and at the beginning of 2021 Great Britain left the customs union and the EU internal market after a transition phase.