French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Andy Burnham’s suggestion that the UK could eventually rejoin the European Union, saying “welcome back” and calling it good news for Britain and Europe. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also said Spain would welcome a British bid to rejoin the EU, responding to Burnham’s call for a new long-term relationship with Europe. 

Burnham has said the UK should consider several possibilities, ranging from maintaining current arrangements to joining a customs union, returning to the single market, or eventually seeking full EU membership. 

EU officials have welcomed the discussion but stressed that different forms of closer integration would come with obligations, including common trade policy for a customs union and free movement of people alongside goods, services and capital for single-market membership, The Guardian has reported.

Burnham plans to set out the different options around the UK-EU summit expected in November, meaning the current discussion concerns possible future arrangements rather than an immediate British application to rejoin the EU.