Spain’s PM welcomes Burnham’s openness to UK rejoining EU
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has welcomed the fact that his British counterpart is attempting to recalibrate the UK’s relationship with the EU, calling Britain a “sister nation” and stressing that “Brexit was a huge loss”.
This comes after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham teased future relationships and declined to definitively rule out a possible return to the bloc.
Speaking at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Madrid, Sánchez recalled the impact of the UK’s departure from the EU: “Brexit was a huge loss, both for the British people and for the EU and the European project as a whole”, he said.
READ ALSO: Rejoining the EU is among options for future ties, says UK prime minister
Sánchez also stated that Spain “would welcome the UK back with open arms” into the EU, referring to the UK as “a sister nation” with which Spain “has good relations in all areas”.
READ ALSO: Could Brits in Spain really lose their benefits if Reform UK wins power?
A decade on from the referendum, Burnham reopened the Brexit debate on Wednesday at Labour party conference when he said that the party could go “all the way” and propose full membership.
The Prime Minister also promised a proper consideration of all the “pros and cons” of different relationships with the EU, including a customs union, with the EU before taking a decision.
In his speech, he emphasised that London will have to forge a new relationship with the EU and indicated that it would put forward various alternatives to rebuild ties with Brussels.
READ ALSO: What will change for Brits in Spain with Burnham as new UK PM?
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“So there are clearly options that need to be considered, and we have to look at what is doable, and what would be the pros and cons of each,” he added.
Spain and the UK have in recent months forged closer bilateral ties, whether it be the long-awaited Gibraltar deal, a visa waiver scheme, or even Sánchez and Burnham taking a stroll through New York’s Central Park.
Analysis from the Chatham House think tank states that Labour making a future manifesto pledge on Europe might be a seen a sign of goodwill in Brussels: “Burnham’s influence with the EU will be stronger if his top team reaches an early decision on whether the next Labour Party manifesto will commit the UK to joining the EU customs union, the single market or the EU itself.”
Regardless of what Sánchez, Macron, or even Burnham himself say, what could the UK realistically do?
In substantive policy terms, neither the UK or Spain can unpick Brexit on their own or even bilaterally because those big structural changes would need EU-wide negotiations rather than a streamlined UK-Spain deal.
Similarly, domestically-speaking, Burnham’s Brexit tinkering will be closely watched by the Commons, right-wing media and Reform and the Conservatives, both of whom will be desperate to deploy the ‘Brexit betrayal’ narrative.
READ ALSO: 90-day rule, borders and taxes – What the Gibraltar deal means in practice
