# Labour voters back Burnham on EU return plan

> Nearly three-quarters of Labour supporters want Andy Burnham to commit to rejoining the EU, as a think tank unveils a roadmap for return by 2036.
- Title: Labour voters back Burnham on EU return plan · The Independent
- Summary: Nearly three-quarters of Labour supporters want Andy Burnham to commit to rejoining the EU, as a think tank unveils a roadmap for return by 2036. A poll…
- Keywords: andy burnham, labour party, eu rejoin, brexit, european movement uk, uk politics, michael heseltine, neil kinnock, vince cable, politics, news, Labour
- Source: The Independent — https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-rejoin-eu-10-year-plan-b3063609.html
- Published: 2026-10-10T13:52:47+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: andy burnham, labour party, eu rejoin, brexit, european movement uk, uk politics, michael heseltine, neil kinnock, vince cable, politics, news
## Labour voters back EU commitment
Nearly three-quarters of Labour voters want Andy Burnham to include talks to rejoin the European Union in the party's next manifesto, according to a new poll.
## Public backs EU return in referendum
Britons would vote by nearly two to one, fifty-seven to thirty percent, to become part of the EU again in another referendum, the survey found.
## Cross-party support for EU manifesto pledge
A majority of voters for all but one of the major parties favour including a commitment to seek EU membership in their next election manifesto. Reform UK voters were against it.
## Think tank unveils ten-year roadmap
The European Movement has drawn up a plan to get the UK back into the EU by twenty thirty-six or earlier, backed by Michael Heseltine, Neil Kinnock and Vince Cable.
## Heseltine: solving shared global problems
Lord Heseltine said: "Ten years on since Brexit, this is how we solve our shared global problems."

> Ten years on since Brexit, this is how we solve our shared global problems.
## Kinnock backs ten-year accession timeline
Lord Kinnock said ten years to gain full admission again is sensible, but it could be less because of continuing damage to the country and proximity to largest markets.
## Burnham declares Brexit has not worked
Andy Burnham declared that Brexit has not worked and said it had led to a decade of drift and division since twenty sixteen.
## Economic damage from trade barriers
The European Movement argues that putting up trade barriers with closest neighbours has left the UK between four percent and eight percent poorer than it otherwise would have been.
## UK security concerns without EU membership
With Donald Trump in the White House, the European Movement warns that the UK's special relationship with the US has collapsed and outside the EU the UK is less able to defend itself.
## EU requires referendum before accession
The EU would require any final deal to be ratified by another referendum before accession is granted.A clear electoral mandate could be achieved with a manifesto commitment at the next election, expected in twenty twenty-nine.
## Parliament debate on EU rejoin petition
A debate in parliament is set to take place on Monday on a petition supporting rejoining the EU with around twenty-six thousand letters backing the proposal already sent to MPs.
## Support for rejoin at highest since Brexit
Polling guru professor Sir John Curtice said that support for rejoining the EU was now at its highest level since the Brexit vote.
## Key takeaway

A poll shows seventy-three percent of Labour voters want EU rejoin talks in the party's next manifesto, as a European Movement roadmap proposes UK return by 2036.