Former prime minister Tony Blair has called for the United Kingdom to work towards rejoining the European Union over the next ten years, setting out a framework that would see the country accept free movement and make a financial contribution as part of any re-entry deal.
Blair sets out a structured negotiating approach
The intervention was published by the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) in a paper titled A Path to Rejoining a Reformed Europe, which argues that Britain should signal an intention to pursue a formal relationship with the EU and commence negotiations where “everything is on the table but nothing agreed until everything is agreed.”
“Britain should signal an intention if the terms are right to enter into a structured formal relationship with Europe and initiate a process of negotiation where everything is on the table but nothing agreed until everything is agreed.”
The paper, and Mr Blair's foreword to it, recommends the UK accept key elements of EU membership as the price of entry. TBI researchers explicitly state that the country should aim, over the coming decade, to rejoin a “significantly reformed EU.”
Political context and divisions within Labour
Mr Blair’s intervention adds to a growing list of Labour figures who have publicly backed the idea of rejoining the EU. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has described the 2016 referendum outcome as a “catastrophic mistake” and said Labour should aim to re-enter the bloc. Mayor Andy Burnham has previously expressed a personal hope to see the UK rejoin in his lifetime but has refused to commit to pursuing membership in the short term.
Labour’s leadership has so far been cautious. When asked this week whether rejoining could appear in the party’s next manifesto, Mr Burnham said it was a question “for another day,” and other ministers have urged caution about reopening the debate in areas that voted Leave.
- Tony Blair / TBI: advocates a ten-year programme to rejoin, accepting free movement and a contribution.
- Wes Streeting: has called Brexit a serious error and supports the aim of rejoining.
- Andy Burnham: expressed personal support for eventual re-entry but resists near-term manifesto commitments.
Electoral risks and strategic questions
Senior party figures remain split on the electoral prudence of placing membership on the immediate political agenda. Some fear that a prominent campaign to reverse the referendum outcome would alienate voters in former Leave strongholds and hand ammunition to rival parties, including Reform UK, which have targeted those areas in recent years.
Others argue the UK’s relationship with Europe remains a fundamental long-term question for the country’s prosperity and security and should be addressed in a structured way rather than left as an unresolved legacy of 2016.
What the proposal would mean in practice
The TBI paper sets out a sequence rather than a single, immediate change. It envisages signalling intent, conducting negotiations with all issues open, and aiming for an agreement only when all elements are settled. Among the concrete conditions it lists are:
- accepting the principle of free movement of people as part of the membership package;
- making a financial contribution to EU budgets;
- seeking to rejoin a reformed EU rather than the pre-2016 status quo.
| Actor | Position (as reported) |
|---|---|
| Tony Blair / TBI | Advocates a 10-year plan to rejoin with free movement and contribution |
| Wes Streeting | Supports aiming to rejoin; calls Brexit a mistake |
| Andy Burnham | Personally hopeful but resists near-term manifesto commitment |
The proposal reopens questions about timing, public consent and party strategy. Any formal attempt to pursue membership would also face legal and diplomatic hurdles, including the need for negotiation with the EU and, ultimately, for securing the necessary political mandate at home.
For now, Mr Blair’s paper places the issue back at the centre of debate within national politics. It invites Labour to consider a staged, long-term approach rather than an immediate pledge, but it is likely to intensify discussion about how and when the UK should settle the question of its relationship with Europe.
