Andy Burnham, returning after a party conference, has advocated for a closer relationship with the European Union, aiming to move past a decade of "drift and division." This stance represents a rhetorical departure from his predecessors.
On Sunday, Mr Burnham also asserted that the Kremlin was "clear" to have been involved in the 2016 Brexit referendum vote. Previous Conservative governments had maintained there was no evidence of Russian interference in the vote, while Keir Starmer's government sought to treat Brexit as a historic event.
While Mr Burnham has called for a "longer-term discussion" about Britain's relationship with the EU, the specifics of his proposals remain vague. During his Labour conference speech, he promised to outline "different options" for the UK's long-term relationship with Europe and acknowledged that Brexit had caused "more harm than good."
Polling data suggests public sentiment regarding Brexit has shifted. A YouGov poll in January 2025 found that only 11% of people considered Brexit to be more of a success than a failure. More recently, the Messina Group reported last week that half of voters would like to rejoin the EU.