Sir Sadiq Khan has urged Andy Burnham to start preparing now for Britain to rejoin the EU (Image: Getty)
Sir Sadiq Khan has sparked a backlash from Brexiteers after demanding that Andy Burnham starts preparing immediately for Britain to rejoin the EU. The Labour Mayor of London called on the Prime Minister to make a manifesto commitment at the next election to drag the UK back to Brussels.
Sir Sadiq, who campaigned for Remain in the 2016 referendum, told The i Paper: “We’ve got to start the work now. You can’t, a week before a general election, pull out of a hat this rabbit of a manifesto and say we’re going to rejoin in six weeks’ time.
“The heavy lifting, the pitch rolling must be done now, explaining to the country the disadvantages of being outside the European Union and the benefits of being part of this family.”
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Andrew Rosindell hit back at Sadiq Khan’s EU demand (Image: Getty)
But Reform UK MP Andrew Rosindell hit back at Sir Sadiq for “trying to overturn the biggest democratic vote in a generation”.
He said: “The British people voted to leave the EU a decade ago, and Labour still refuses to accept that result.
“Sadiq Khan should stick to fixing London’s soaring crime rates and failing public services instead of trying to overturn the biggest democratic vote in a generation.
“Only Reform UK will deliver the Brexit people voted for and stop the political establishment from dragging Britain back into a political union which the British people voted to leave.”
Unite boss Sharon Graham also warned against reversing Brexit.
She told Sky News: “I think the reality about the EU is that what we need to do is we need to be sure that we’re keeping to what the British people said.
“The British people voted for Brexit. I think if we’re going down a road of trying to undo that, I think that will be seen as a problem. I think what we need to do, though, is to make sure that we’re closer to Europe where we can be and also utilise what we can do. I want us to make sure that all UK projects use UK steel. We can do that now. Why don’t we get on and do it?”
The former Labour prime minister said: “There is no point in inching towards Europe as we feel what British public opinion might accommodate.
“We should be clear that we want back into a formal relationship with the EU. But it must be a Europe on a credible path to reform, a Europe of nation states, a Europe capable of being a genuine global power.”
He insisted the British people should be given a “second chance” to decide whether to be in the EU.
Mr Burnham has committed to Labour’s red lines on Brexit in its 2024 manifesto, including not returning to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement.
But earlier last week, the PM left the door open to including a pledge to rejoin the EU in Labour’s next election manifesto.
Fury as Sadiq Khan Issues Urgent Brexit Demand to Andy Burnham
Sadiq Khan has issued a fresh and forceful intervention in the increasingly heated Labour debate over Brexit, urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to begin preparing the ground for Britain to rejoin the European Union rather than waiting until the next general election.
The London mayor’s intervention has added to mounting pressure on Burnham after the Prime Minister opened the door to a much closer relationship with Brussels and explicitly acknowledged that returning to the EU could be one of the options considered by his government.
Khan has argued that Labour should not wait until an election campaign to explain its position on Europe. Instead, he wants the party to begin making the case now, giving voters time to consider the economic and political arguments surrounding Britain’s future relationship with the bloc.
The comments have reignited one of the most sensitive political arguments in Britain.
Brexit remains deeply divisive more than a decade after the 2016 referendum. Any proposal to reverse Britain’s departure would inevitably raise questions about sovereignty, trade, immigration, regulation and the democratic mandate of the original vote.
Khan’s intervention therefore places additional pressure on Burnham to clarify how far he intends to take his review of Britain’s relationship with Europe.
Khan calls for action now
Speaking during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Khan said the groundwork for a possible return to the EU needed to begin immediately.
His argument was that Labour could not wait until an election was approaching before suddenly presenting voters with a proposal to reverse Brexit.
Instead, he said the party needed to undertake the political work of explaining both the disadvantages of remaining outside the EU and the potential benefits of closer integration.
The intervention came after Burnham announced that his government would examine different options for Britain’s long-term relationship with European partners.
Initially, Burnham said the government would use the forthcoming UK-EU summit to set out those options. He subsequently clarified that they could include the possibility of going “all the way” and seeking to rejoin the European Union.
That represents a significant change in the political conversation.
Under Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer, Labour ruled out returning to the EU, the single market and the customs union. Burnham has instead signalled that the government is prepared to examine a broader range of possibilities.
However, he has also stressed that he does not intend to rush into a particular arrangement.
Burnham’s changing Brexit position
Burnham’s position on Brexit has evolved over several years.
He has previously expressed support for Britain eventually returning to the EU, saying he would like to see it happen during his lifetime. At other points, however, he has emphasised the need to respect the result of the 2016 referendum and focused on improving the relationship between Britain and Brussels rather than immediately seeking membership.
His latest comments are more open-ended.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Burnham outlined several possible choices. Britain could retain its existing relationship with the EU, explore a customs union, consider closer single-market arrangements or potentially pursue full membership.
The Prime Minister has therefore presented the issue as a spectrum of possible relationships rather than as an immediate decision to rejoin.
That distinction is important because negotiations over EU membership would be complex and would involve questions about the terms under which Britain could return.
For now, the government is considering options rather than announcing a final destination.
Why Khan wants the debate to start early
Khan’s argument is partly about political preparation.
A decision to seek EU membership would represent a major change in national policy. He believes that such a decision could not realistically be introduced immediately before an election without substantial public discussion beforehand.
His call is therefore for Labour to spend the intervening period developing its arguments, examining the economic consequences and explaining what a future relationship with Europe might look like.
In his recent Guardian article, Khan went further, arguing that Labour should make the case for returning to the EU and that Britain should seek closer integration with European institutions. He also called for the government to pursue closer links through the customs union and single market.
Those proposals go beyond the position previously maintained by Starmer’s Labour leadership.
Khan has linked his argument to trade, economic growth and national security. He has also argued that Britain’s position outside the EU has become more problematic in an increasingly uncertain international environment.
However, these are political arguments rather than settled conclusions. The economic and strategic effects of Brexit remain the subject of continuing debate among economists, politicians and researchers.
The economic argument
One of the central issues in the dispute is Britain’s trading relationship with Europe.
The EU remains the UK’s largest trading partner, meaning changes to the relationship can have consequences for businesses involved in importing and exporting goods and services.
Khan has repeatedly argued that Brexit has damaged London’s economy and has cited City Hall research estimating that London’s economy was smaller than it might have been had Britain remained in the EU.
Supporters of a closer relationship with Europe argue that reducing trade barriers could improve business conditions and increase economic activity.
Those opposed to reversing Brexit take a different view. They argue that Britain should focus on using its status outside the EU to establish independent trade relationships and regulatory policies rather than seeking to return to European institutions.
That disagreement is now becoming increasingly important within Labour itself.
A growing Labour divide
The debate does not simply divide Labour from Conservative and Reform politicians.
There are also differences within the Labour movement.
Khan has been one of the most prominent Labour figures calling for a significantly closer relationship with Europe. Former prime minister Tony Blair has also called for Britain to consider rejoining a reformed EU within the next decade.
But other Labour figures have warned against making EU membership a central political objective.
Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, has warned that campaigning to reverse Brexit could be unpopular with Labour’s traditional supporters. She has argued that many workers want improved trade with Europe without necessarily wanting Britain to reverse the referendum result.
This illustrates the difficult political calculation facing Burnham.
A closer relationship with Europe could appeal to voters who believe Brexit has harmed Britain, while an explicit pledge to rejoin could alienate people who continue to regard the 2016 referendum result as decisive.
Opposition parties respond
The possibility of Britain returning to the EU has also triggered criticism from political opponents.
Conservative politicians have accused Labour of attempting to revisit a democratic decision made more than a decade ago.
Reform UK has likewise criticised the idea of returning to the European Union and argued that Britain should concentrate on making its post-Brexit arrangements work.
These arguments mean that any move towards EU membership could become a major political dividing line at the next general election.
The issue could also provide opponents with an opportunity to argue that Labour is attempting to reopen an argument that dominated British politics for years.
For Burnham, avoiding a renewed political culture war over Brexit may therefore be almost as important as deciding what relationship Britain should have with Europe.
No 10 tests public opinion
The controversy has intensified after reports that senior Downing Street officials have been consulting think tanks and pollsters about public attitudes towards rejoining the EU.
According to the Guardian, officials have been examining how voters might respond to a Labour manifesto commitment involving negotiations over EU membership.
The reports suggest that the government is considering not simply whether rejoining is theoretically possible, but how such a proposal would be received by voters.
That is particularly significant because Burnham has said the government wants to examine different options before reaching a conclusion.
Public opinion has changed since 2016, with polling in recent years often showing greater support for closer European ties than immediately after the referendum. But individual polls measure opinion at particular moments and can vary according to wording, methodology and the question asked.
The political significance of the issue therefore remains uncertain.
The question of the single market and customs union
Khan’s intervention also raises another important question: does closer cooperation necessarily mean full EU membership?
There are several possible models.
Britain could seek a closer trading relationship while remaining outside the EU. It could potentially explore a customs union, closer alignment with the single market or other agreements covering individual sectors.
Full EU membership would represent a much more extensive change.
Burnham has acknowledged this range of possibilities, saying the government should consider everything from maintaining the current arrangement to potentially going “all the way”.
Khan, however, has argued that Labour should not limit its ambitions.
In his Guardian article, he called for Britain to lay the groundwork for returning to the customs union and single market and eventually make the case for EU membership.
Why the timing matters
The timing of the dispute is particularly important.
Britain is approaching another period in which questions about its long-term economic strategy, international alliances and relationship with Europe are likely to receive increasing attention.
Burnham has said that Brexit has harmed UK growth and that Britain needs a closer relationship with its largest market. In an ITV interview, he said the country would struggle to return to higher growth rates while remaining too distant from Europe.
However, he has also indicated that the government will not rush into a decision.
That leaves considerable space for debate.
The coming UK-EU summit could provide an important opportunity for ministers to outline the possible direction of travel, but it is unlikely to settle every question surrounding Britain’s long-term relationship with Europe.
A major decision for Labour
Khan’s demand has therefore pushed an already sensitive issue further up the Labour agenda.
The mayor wants Burnham to begin the political and public groundwork for a possible return to the EU now. Burnham, meanwhile, is presenting the government’s approach as a review of several possible relationships rather than an immediate commitment to membership.
The difference between those positions may become increasingly important.
Khan is effectively arguing for a long-term political campaign to change Britain’s relationship with Europe. Burnham is currently keeping a wider range of options open.
At the same time, pressure is coming from several directions.
Pro-European Labour figures want the government to go further. Trade union leaders have warned about the political risks of reversing Brexit. Conservative and Reform politicians are expected to oppose any attempt to rejoin the EU. And Downing Street is reportedly examining public opinion before deciding how far it wants to go.
The result is a new Labour debate over an issue that once dominated British politics.
For Burnham, the immediate task is not necessarily to decide whether Britain should rejoin the EU, but to establish what relationship would best serve the government’s stated objectives on economic growth, trade and international cooperation.
Khan has made his preference clear and is urging the Prime Minister not to wait.
Whether Burnham ultimately embraces a closer relationship, pursues a customs union or single-market arrangement, maintains the current settlement or eventually considers full EU membership remains an open political question.
What is already clear is that Brexit has returned to the centre of Labour’s national debate. With the Prime Minister now acknowledging that rejoining the EU could be one of the options, and the London mayor demanding that preparations begin immediately, the argument over Britain’s European future is entering a new phase.