Andy Burnham is rethinking the UK’s ties with the EU. What are his options?

Burnham’s decision to put the prospect of EU membership back on the table has caught attention in Brussels. But any attempt to unpick Brexit could come with conditions and difficult trade-offs.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will set out “options” for a new relationship with the European Union – including the possibility of Britain rejoining the bloc – arguing that Brexit has done “more harm than good”.

His government is now expected to flesh out those options ahead of a EU-UK summit in Brussels in November.

“We have to look at what is doable and what would be the pros and cons of each,” Burnham said earlier this week.

In Brussels, Burnham was initially seen as less focused on international issues than his predecessor, Keir Starmer.

But his willingness to raise the prospect of the UK rejoining the EU – despite the political risks in reopening the issue – has raised the stakes in Brussels and shifted expectations for the reset.

“This was a politically bold move,” one EU official said. “It now opens up the possibility of a far more ambitious approach.”

But officials privately acknowledge that much greater clarity is needed over what Britain is actually prepared to pursue, while stressing that the principles established during the hard-fought Brexit negotiations still stand.

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