Prime Minister Burnham Reviews UK-EU Ties, Considers Rejoining Bloc

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a review of options for Britain's future relationship with Europe, stating these options should include rejoining the European Union entirely.

A new megapoll by the Messina Group (TMG) found that almost half of all voters support Burnham's personal preference to rejoin the EU. The poll also indicated that renegotiating the UK's relationship with the EU could boost Labour's vote share by as much as seven points if the prime minister offered a fresh referendum and campaigned for re-entry.

Almost a third of voters believe an in-out referendum would be needed first, while more than one in six felt a general election mandate would be sufficient, and the same proportion thought parliament could make the decision. Burnham used his first Labour conference speech as leader on Tuesday to announce the review. Some Labour MPs with Brexit-voting constituencies express nerves that even testing public support for rejoining could carry political risk and potentially boost Reform.

Kemi Badenoch described Burnham as a people pleaser and Nigel Farage as not serious. Green deputy leader Rachel Millward claimed the Green Party's poll surge led Labour MPs to jettison Keir Starmer in favor of Burnham, calling Burnham Zack Polanski's crowning achievement. Millward also suggested AI technology could be brought into public ownership. Polling expert John Curtice suggested the Greens could be pivotal to the next UK government, noting that Labour and the LibDems might not have enough seats to form a government alone. Burnham has also committed to a new state-paid, free-to-all 'care' service, which he announced after his father's recent death.