Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that Britain should explore various options for its future relationship with the European Union, including the possibility of eventually rejoining the bloc, as he intensifies efforts to restore ties with Europe.
In an interview with the BBC, following his address to the Labour Party's annual conference in which he said Brexit had "done more harm than good", Burnham argued that Britain ought to assess different frameworks for its long-term engagement with Europe and determine which would provide the most promising way ahead.
"We could stay as we are. That's definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay," Burnham told the broadcaster.
"We could look at what George Osborne has said about a customs union. We could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about single market, or we could go all the way."
Osborne, a former Conservative chancellor, has advocated that Britain seek a customs union with the EU, while the Liberal Democrats have urged the country to return to the bloc’s single market.
Burnham said these options should be evaluated according to what is realistically achievable, weighing the pros and cons of each.
In 2016, Britain chose to withdraw from the European Union, bringing to a close over forty years of membership and setting off prolonged political turmoil, as successive governments struggled to manage the economic and diplomatic fallout of that decision.
Earlier on Tuesday, Burnham stated that he intended to use a UK-EU summit scheduled for November to present possible arrangements for Britain’s long-term relationship with the bloc.
Burnham, who succeeded Keir Starmer in July, has previously stated that he hopes Britain will re-enter the European Union within his lifetime. He has contended that the country cannot endure another ten years of uncertainty over the matter.
"I am very clear, and I will put this bluntly: Brexit has done more damage than good," he said. "So the question is, what should we do about it?"