British PM keeps options open for rejoining EU

LONDON, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Rejoining the European Union is one option for Britain's future relationship with Europe, said British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in a BBC interview released on Wednesday.

Andy Burnham arrives at a special conference of the Labour Party in London, Britain, on July 17, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Asked by a BBC host whether he would like to see Britain rejoin the EU, Burnham said, "I would like to see Britain rejoin in my lifetime," but added that he would "look at the different options."

The options included "stay as we are," a customs union, the European single market, or "we could go all the way," Burnham said.

"I am very clear, and I will say this bluntly: Brexit has done more harm than good," he noted.

Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, ending more than four decades of membership, with successive governments having since dealt with the economic and diplomatic consequences.