Adding to the string of Labour figures announcing their support for EU integration, Tony Blair last month expressed his in an essay titled, 'A Path to Re-joining a Reformed Europe', encouraging a Brexit reversal in the next decade.
This high-profile endorsement fans the flames of a party already questioning their 2024 manifesto pledge explicitly promising to remain out.
Ever since turbulence arose around Keir Starmer's premiership, the 'deal with the present' stance of him and preceding Prime Ministers faltered with the rise of 'deal with the past' figures like Wes Streeting who had EU relations at the vanguard of his bid for Number 10. With Andy Burnham striving for a transformative premiership, backed by unity and the drive that Labour were lacking under Corbyn and Starmer respectively, he too is seeking to reverse rather than revise.
We must look as well to the international situation. A more hostile world order casts doubt over the integrity of UK-US relations concerning defence, trade and investment making Europe a potentially more attractive global partner. Conflict in Eastern Europe warranting more European defensive collaboration and the EU being our largest trading partner, in 2025 totalling 45.2% of overall trade, could make re-joining a way of projecting a unified NATO and spurring economic growth.
Nationally, opinions have changed too. An enfranchised, more pro EU, youth that has been widened by lowering the voting age to 16 means that if a second referendum occurred 52% would favour re-joining. This is something that Burnham himself has not rejected.
However, some, whilst perhaps pro-EU, may oppose reopening old wounds of division inflicted post-referendum. In opposition, Kemi Badenoch in her recent conference warned of its potential impact on business investment, overall deeming it a 'terrible idea'.
Whilst a full Brexit reversal isn't guaranteed, never has it been this likely. As Baroness Ayesha Hazarika put it on Times Radio the whole situation is like 'trying to get back with your ex subtly'. We may go all the way, as Europe would prefer, or cherry pick aspects like the single market. We could even, like Canada, become an associate member. Whilst a plan isn't confirmed, EU relations are certainly back on the tired table of UK politics.