Tony Blair has urged Andy Burnham to use his forthcoming 10-year plan to put Britain's membership of the European Union back on the table, arguing that the country should work towards rejoining the bloc within the next decade. The former prime minister's intervention adds to growing pressure on the Greater Manchester mayor to abandon Labour's reluctance to revisit the 2016 referendum.
Blair, who led the Labour Party to three general election victories, has said Britain should work towards rejoining the EU in the next ten years. He has called on Burnham to use his 10-year plan, due in November, to reopen the question of membership a decade after the country voted to leave. The former prime minister's comments represent one of the most explicit calls yet from a senior Labour figure for the party to shift its position on Brexit.
The intervention comes amid signs that revisiting the issue could carry electoral benefits for Labour. A poll cited in the debate suggests that a pledge to rejoin the EU could boost the party's chances at the ballot box. That finding has intensified pressure on Burnham, who is expected to set out his long-term vision for Greater Manchester and beyond in the coming weeks.
Blair's call has been reinforced by a report from the Tony Blair Institute, which has urged Keir Starmer to ditch Labour's Brexit red lines against rejoining the single market and customs union immediately. The think tank's recommendation goes further than the party's current position, which rules out a return to the single market and customs union as part of its approach to relations with Brussels.
Another influential think tank has also weighed in, highlighting the billions lost in exports since Britain left the EU. The combined pressure from Blair, his institute and other analysts places the question of EU membership firmly back in the political conversation, even as Labour's leadership has sought to avoid reopening old divisions.
Blair has framed his argument as a forward-looking proposition rather than an attempt to relitigate the past. He has told Labour to commit to rejoining the EU within a decade and to scrap its Brexit red lines, rather than, in his words, re-running the debates of 2016. That framing is intended to appeal to voters who are concerned about the economic consequences of leaving without necessarily wanting to revisit the referendum campaign itself.
For Burnham, the intervention presents a delicate political balancing act. As mayor of Greater Manchester, he has built a profile around regional devolution and public service reform, and his 10-year plan is expected to focus on those themes. Adding EU membership to that agenda would mark a significant shift in Labour's national positioning and could expose divisions within the party.
The timing of Blair's comments is significant. With Labour in government under Keir Starmer, the party has been cautious about discussing Brexit, wary of alienating voters who backed leaving in 2016. But the economic case for closer alignment with the EU has gained traction as exporters continue to report difficulties with trade barriers and customs checks.
Whether Burnham heeds Blair's call remains uncertain. His 10-year plan will be closely watched for any signal that Labour is prepared to move beyond its current red lines. For now, Blair's intervention has ensured that the question of Britain's relationship with Europe is unlikely to stay off the agenda for long.