French finance minister urges Burnham to fully embrace EU re-entry as leaders meet in Berlin

During an interview, French finance minister Roland Lescure commended Labour leader Andy Burnham for signaling a willingness to consider the United Kingdom's return to the European Union and urged him to pursue the idea without compromise. Lescure stressed that the decision rests with the British electorate but affirmed that the EU would welcome a comeback at any moment. Burnham, in his Labour conference speech, described Brexit as having caused "more harm than good" and said a credible ten-year plan for Britain must address the Europe question, though he stopped short of promising a new referendum.

He suggested that a commitment to re-joining could be included in the party's upcoming manifesto. The French minister's comments coincided with Burnham's visit to Berlin to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz, where discussions are expected to cover defence, security and the EU's Made in Europe import rules that could impact UK trade. The upcoming EU summit, featuring EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, will also examine ways to deepen trade ties with Britain.