UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was ready to deepen cooperation with the European Union. He made the statement on Thursday, October 8, during his first official visit to Berlin, where he held talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UNN reports.
According to him, official London seeks to reach new agreements with Brussels during the upcoming UK-EU summit.
Details
The British prime minister stressed that he was committed to strengthening relations with the European Union and expected positive results from the upcoming negotiations.
I am firmly determined to achieve deeper cooperation with the European Union. Today we had an excellent discussion, and we will see whether we can ensure that the summit delivers positive results for both the EU and the United Kingdom
The UK-EU summit is expected to take place at the end of 2026. The parties are to discuss the further development of relations after Brexit.
Britain's return to the EU: what London will have to give up - The Guardian19.05.26, 07:31
Context
Earlier, speaking at the Labour Party conference in late September, Burnham acknowledged that the UK's withdrawal from the EU had done the country more harm than good. He also said at the time that he intended to present possible options for future relations with the European Union, while not ruling out the prospect of the country rejoining the bloc. At the same time, there is currently no specific decision on the UK's return to the EU.
For his part, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed support for strengthening relations between London and Brussels. During the meeting in Berlin, the leaders of the two countries also completed ratification of the Kensington Treaty on friendship and bilateral cooperation, which was signed back in July 2025. The document provides for deeper UK-German cooperation in the areas of defense, security, the economy, science, and technology.
Let us recall
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure invited the United Kingdom to "fully return" to the EU. This came after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in Labour's forthcoming election manifesto that a second referendum on Brexit was "possible".