Tony Blair has urged Britain to pursue a return to the European Union within the next ten years, adding to mounting pressure on Andy Burnham to revisit Labour’s cautious approach to the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Blair, who served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said Burnham should use a 10‑year strategy he plans to publish in November to put the question of EU membership back on the table. The intervention comes a decade after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.
Blair’s remarks follow polling that suggests a clear pledge to seek re‑entry could improve Labour’s standing with some voters, increasing debate within the party over how to handle Brexit in future electoral strategy. Labour leaders have so far been reluctant to commit to reopening the debate, mindful of divisions within the party and the country.
The call is likely to intensify internal discussions about Labour’s positioning on Europe ahead of upcoming elections and strategic planning. Any formal move toward pursuing EU membership would present significant political and practical challenges, including negotiating terms acceptable to both the UK electorate and EU member states.
Reactions within Labour and across the wider political spectrum are expected as Burnham and other senior figures consider how, or whether, to incorporate Europe into longer‑term policy platforms. Blair’s intervention highlights the continuing salience of Brexit as a defining issue in British politics ten years on.