Lord Kinnock has urged Andy Burnham to put the case for Britain rejoining the European Union in Labour’s next election manifesto, The i Paper can reveal.
The former Labour leader has argued that “our future lies in rebuilding our proper place in our continent”.
He told The i Paper: “The case for putting membership of the European Union in Labour’s next manifesto is necessary to repair the damage done by Brexit and, vitally, regain the full economic, political and cultural opportunities, influence and trust that were so needlessly lost.”
His intervention is significant, as the Prime Minister has identified him as one of his political heroes. Kinnock, who was Labour leader between 1983 and 1992, is staunchly pro-EU and also served as a European commissioner.
Despite previously saying he would like to see Britain rejoin the EU in his lifetime, Burnham has made no mention of seeking to reverse Brexit since he became PM – as he seeks to win back voters from Reform UK.
While recent polling suggests the public are open to the idea of closer co-operation with the EU, many in the Labour Party fear any attempt to rejoin would be politically risky and reopen toxic divides in the country. They also fear that it would be seized on by the Conservatives and Reform as evidence that the party is willing to betray working-class voters who backed Brexit.
The pro-Europe campaign group Best for Britain has recently shared polling with senior Labour figures in a bid to show that a commitment to rejoining the EU would be popular with the party’s supporters, as well as helping them win back voters who have switched to the Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru.
The findings of the YouGov survey, which questioned more than 10,000 adults, suggest that including a manifesto commitment to restore full EU membership would increase enthusiasm for Labour by seven percentage points – more than any other policy tested, including staying closer to the EU without rejoining the single market or customs union.
Former Labour voters who have switched to the Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP or Plaid Cymru since 2024 said they would be twice as likely, on average, to return to Labour if the party pledged to rejoin the EU. Among those who now back the Greens, the pledge increased their likelihood of returning to Labour by 16 percentage points.
Across current Liberal Democrat and Green voters, support for Labour increased by 21 and 18 percentage points respectively when they were presented with the rejoin pledge.
In contrast, Conservative and Reform UK supporters were unmoved by any Labour position on Europe – including a pledge to loosen ties further, according to the poll.
A BMG poll for The i Paper in April found that 48 per cent of voters would back Britain rejoining the European Union, compared with 34 per cent who would stay out.
More recent YouGov polling points in the same direction. Its latest EU tracker, conducted in early June, found 55 per cent would support rejoining, against 34 per cent opposed. YouGov said rejoining was the most supported option among 2024 Labour voters, as well as among Remain voters, Liberal Democrat voters and Green voters.
However, separate research from the pollster found that the public were net opposed to rejoining the EU if the UK could not keep its previous special exemptions from some of the bloc’s rules or policies.
Rachel Blake, Labour MP for Cities of London and Westminster, said the Government should “keep all options on the table” as it continues to reset relations with Brussels.
Unions are expected this week to urge Burnham to seek a closer trade relationship with the EU to boost the economy and jobs. A motion at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference is set to call for the “deepest possible partnership with the EU”.
The UK and EU are negotiating the next stage of their post-Brexit relationship, with a proposed youth visa scheme, allowing young people to live work and study in each other’s countries, among the most important outstanding issues.
Britain is also seeking to protect its businesses from the effects of the EU’s emerging “Made in Europe” agenda. Brussels has proposed new public-procurement rules that would give EU authorities greater scope to favour European suppliers.
The wider UK-EU reset has made progress on areas including the student exchange scheme Erasmus+, while negotiations continue on issues including food and agricultural trade, energy and emissions trading.
The Government has said it wants the outstanding talks concluded by the next UK-EU summit. No new date for that summit, which was delayed due to the UK’s change in prime minister, has been formally announced.
The Best for Britain poll of 10,324 GB adults by YouGov was carried out between 29 April and 5 May 2026.
Hence then, the article about reverse brexit in labour s next manifesto kinnock tells burnham was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Reverse Brexit in Labour’s next manifesto, Kinnock tells Burnham )
Also on site :
- ‘I’m a Rheumatologist—These Are the Symptoms I Ask About Before Suspecting Autoimmune Disease’
- Driscoll touts Ukraine's military innovation in first public appearance since resigning as Army Secretary
- ‘Animal Hospital’ Leads Roblox Innovation Awards 2026 Winners as Roblox Unveils 20th Anniversary Event