Andy Burnham has pressed ahead with his Brexit U-turn, using a visit to Germany to set out what he described as a commitment to deeper cooperation with the European Union. The move marks a further shift in the UK's approach to its relationship with Brussels and has been met with a warm reception from senior European officials.
Speaking during the visit, Burnham promised closer ties with the bloc on a range of issues, including security, youth mobility and immigration. The commitments signal an intent to rebuild practical cooperation in areas where the UK's post-Brexit arrangements have been seen as fragmented or incomplete.
The overture was welcomed in European capitals. France's finance minister responded by inviting the UK to «come all the way back» to the EU, a phrase that captures the growing appetite in some member states for a more substantial reset in relations. The German chancellor, meeting Burnham in Berlin, said he wanted the UK to move «closer and closer» to the EU, reinforcing the sense that the door to deeper engagement is being held open.
The diplomatic warmth reflects a broader shift in the political weather around Brexit. Public polling now shows sentiment moving against the UK's departure from the bloc, a change that has given fresh momentum to arguments for a closer relationship. That shift has not gone unnoticed in Brussels or in key European capitals, where officials have begun to speak more openly about the terms on which the UK might re-engage.
Yet the path back is not straightforward. According to reports, the German chancellor warned Burnham that rejoining the EU would not be possible unless the UK raises tariffs on Chinese electric cars to 45 per cent. The condition ties the question of UK re-entry to the EU's wider trade defence agenda, and in particular to its efforts to counter what it sees as unfair competition from Chinese manufacturers in the electric vehicle sector.
The tariff demand places Burnham in a delicate position. Raising duties on Chinese electric cars would align the UK more closely with EU trade policy, but it would also carry consequences for British consumers, for the domestic car market and for the UK's own trading relationships. Analysts have cautioned that the government needs to avoid scaring Chinese car-makers away from the UK market, even as it seeks to satisfy European expectations.
The Berlin talks therefore illustrate the complexity of any reset. Closer cooperation on security, mobility and immigration may be achievable through incremental agreements, but the deeper question of rejoining the EU touches on trade, regulation and sovereignty, where the interests of member states and the UK do not automatically align.
For now, the signals from Europe suggest a willingness to engage. The French finance minister's invitation and the German chancellor's language both point to an openness that would have been difficult to imagine in the immediate aftermath of Brexit. Whether that openness translates into concrete movement depends on the UK's willingness to meet conditions that reach well beyond the headline areas of cooperation.
With public opinion shifting and senior European figures publicly courting London, the question of whether the UK might one day decide to rejoin is no longer confined to the margins of political debate. The visit to Germany has moved it closer to the centre, even as the practical obstacles remain substantial.