Britain is quietly de-Brexiting

But any Labour government will have to soften its red lines to get meaningfully closer to the EU

ANY LABOUR leadership race will renew debate over Europe. Andy Burnham, a favourite to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Britain’s prime minister if he wins a by-election in Makerfield on June 18th, has talked of rejoining the EU, though his prospective constituents’ past support for Brexit has made him argue recently that reopening the issue may put Britain in a “permanent rut”. Wes Streeting, another candidate, is more explicit about wanting to reverse Brexit. Even Sir Keir says Britain should be at the heart of Europe again.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “De-Brexiting”

From the May 30th 2026 edition

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