On Sep. 30 local time, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK should carry out a long-term review of its future relationship with the European Union, with options including rejoining the bloc. He said plainly that "Brexit has caused more harm than good," and plans to lay out all the options to the nation at the next UK-EU relationship reset summit in a bid to seek cross-party consensus.
Burnham has previously said he hopes to see Britain return to the EU in his lifetime, but recently stressed that he is not proposing that step immediately, and that the priority is to first build social consensus. His remarks are bound to rekindle Britain's grand Brexit debate, and the political risks should not be underestimated.
The stance immediately triggered a chain reaction. London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged Burnham to immediately begin preparing for Britain's return to the EU, arguing that Labour should start making the case to the public now rather than waiting for the right moment. Analysts noted that rejoining is only one long-term option, and the reset of UK-EU relations is still in its early stages, but the phrase "rejoin the EU" has formally entered mainstream British political agenda.
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