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Join today<\/a><\/p>\n \n Already a member? Your support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\n From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n Your support makes all the difference.Read more<\/p>\n Andy Burnham<\/a> is expected to edge Labour closer to rejoining the EU<\/a> as he prepares to address the Labour<\/a> Party conference for the first time as prime minister. <\/p>\n Ministers have told The Independent that it is now a question of how much he emphasises the UK\u2019s return to Europe<\/a>, rather than if.<\/p>\n Mr Burnham has already warned about the \u201cdrift and division\u201d in the decade since Brexit<\/a> and is expected to make reference to it in his speech on Tuesday, when he said he will \u201clay out a very clear path for the country\u201d. This is a deliberate step to emphasise Labour\u2019s differences with the right of centre parties. <\/p>\n There is growing optimism that a way back into the EU<\/a> could be put to voters at the next election after the prime minister and senior ministers made it clear they believe Brexit has been a failure at this year’s party conference.<\/p>\n When The Independent asked Mr Burnham about whether Rejoin would be in Labour\u2019s next election manifesto on his recent trip to the UN in New York, he refused to rule it out<\/a> \u2013 having said a year ago when he was Manchester mayor that he believes the UK should rejoin the EU.<\/p>\n One senior minister told The Independent that \u201cthe mood has completely changed on this subject.\u201d<\/p>\n They added: \u201cThere is a lot of momentum around rejoining again. The economic data is there and we are feeling more relaxed about talking about Brexit as being a failure.\u201d<\/p>\n Another senior minister said: \u201cIf there was no political risk I think we would rejoin tomorrow, but we have to be mindful of Nigel Farage and revitalising Reform.<\/p>\n \u201cThat said, if we want to grow the economy then we have to rejoin \u2013 we all know that.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the discussions taking place, it is not \u2018if\u2019 but \u2018how\u2019 we do it. Do we put it directly as a pledge in the manifesto or do we use a more indirect form of words about having a debate? That is the conversation now.\u201d<\/p>\n The minister said former prime minister Sir Tony Blair\u2019s recent intervention \u2013 that there needs to be a plan to rejoin a \u201creformed EU\u201d in 10 years \u2013 was \u201cto the point\u201d.<\/p>\n The minister said: \u201cThere are problems with EU regulation on digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) which need to be relaxed. We need changes there because the UK is the centre of this technology.\u201d<\/p>\n They added: \u201cWe also have those trade deals with India and Canada which we would need to move out of but the gains of having full access to the EU market would more than make up for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Some though believe that Mr Burnham needs to act more speedily than waiting for the general election. In an interview with The Independent, Stella Creasy, chair of the Labour Movement for Europe<\/a>, warned the UK needed to start looking at how to rejoin in the next six months.<\/p>\n A number of ministers agree with Ms Creasy that the EU\u2019s \u201cMade in Europe\u201d rules could lock the UK out of trade and defence areas.<\/p>\n One cabinet minister said: \u201cThere is a real danger we are trapped alone between two tectonic plates of America First and Made in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n Another cabinet minister said: \u201cThere is an appetite for a more radical approach to Brexit but it will be conditional on what happens with Made in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n However, most agree with Sir Tony that Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s red lines of not rejoining the customs union, single market or EU as a whole, along with not engaging in free movement, need to be dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are holding us back unnecessarily,\u201d one minister said. <\/p>\n David Lammy\u2019s former foreign policy guru Ben Judah also called for a snap election<\/a> on Brexit.<\/p>\n It came as foreign secretary Ed Miliband<\/a> hinted at a change of direction, telling delegates that Britain\u2019s future lies in a \u201cstronger and deeper\u201d partnership with the EU.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our continent, and if there is one lesson that I have seen demonstrated to me again and again in this job, it is this: Europe is not just our geography, but so much more,\u201d he said during his speech at the Labour conference. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is how we pursue our values from climate to the Middle East. It\u2019s how we pursue our interests from trade to defence. It\u2019s where we build and protect our alliances, so it is not simply Britain acting alone, but Britain with others.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd on economics, on defence, on security, I say to this conference: our future lies in a stronger, deeper partnership with the European Union.\u201d<\/p>\n Chancellor John Healey<\/a> also namechecked \u201cBoris Johnson\u2019s Brexit\u201d <\/a>as a reason that the UK does not have the money which Sir Tony\u2019s New Labour government was able to spend in the 1990s and 2000s.<\/p>\n Reacting to the raised hopes that rejoin is likely to feature in the Labour manifesto, Mike Galsworthy, chair of the European Movement, said: \u201cThis is fantastic news.<\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of how it is phrased, the ambition that in the next parliament we would open accession talks to join the EU as a full member is an exciting one. This would mobilise and energise tremendously, especially at a time when Canada and other Commonwealth countries are looking to the EU as a bedrock of the shared future. <\/p>\n \u201cWe could, and should, be front and centre of those efforts that are now reshaping the world \u2013 and only full EU membership will cut it. We also owe it to our citizens, our businesses, our culture, and our next generations to magnify their opportunities. Brexit has been a misadventure \u2013 a dead horse that can no longer be flogged or carried. It’s time to bury it as a cautionary tale and get back to where we belong.”<\/p>\n
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Andy Burnham has already warned about the \u2018drift and division\u2019 in the decade since Brexit (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2297544436...jpeg\")
John Healey delivering his speech in Liverpool (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Ed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2297548690...jpeg\")
Ed Miliband’s speech pointed towards a new direction on Brexit (Getty)<\/p>\n