Farage calls Burnham’s reopening of EU debate a boost for Reform

Nigel Farage told Reform UK supporters at a rally in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on Thursday 1 October that Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to reopen debate over Britain’s relationship with the European Union had given his party a political opening. Farage called it ‘the biggest boost in my career’ and said Burnham had opened a ‘huge flank’ to Reform. Those are Farage’s assessments of the opportunity; no change in voter support has been established.

The remarks mark the next turn in the debate after Burnham said on Wednesday that EU membership was one of several options his government would examine. In its earlier coverage, NewsJaws reported Burnham’s proposal to review Britain’s relationship with the EU. Farage has now made that proposal a focus of Reform’s campaign pitch, although Burnham has announced no decision to seek membership.

What Farage told Reform supporters in Doncaster

Farage spoke before Reform’s first major rally since its party conference the previous month, according to The Guardian’s 1 October report. He told the paper that Burnham’s comments had put him ‘back into the debate’. At Doncaster racecourse, where the Guardian described hundreds of supporters, he declared: ‘Today I’m back on the road and today is when our general election campaign starts.’

Farage said he would welcome a contest with Burnham over EU rejoining in areas such as Doncaster. The Guardian reported cheers when he told the crowd, ‘Bring it on, I say,’ and said Burnham might have given him the biggest boost of his career. Farage argued that the debate could help Reform in northern and Midlands ‘red wall’ constituencies; that remains a campaign claim, not an observed electoral result.

The rally’s ‘100 days to save Britain’ theme had been arranged before Burnham’s EU comments, the Guardian reported. Reform sources told the paper that the prime minister’s intervention had energised the party and that donors were discussing support for a renewed campaign. The report did not establish that any such funding had been committed.

What Burnham has proposed on EU membership

Burnham’s stated position is a review of options for Britain’s long-term relationship with the EU. In Wednesday interviews quoted by the Guardian, he said the government could retain current arrangements, pursue a customs union, seek a return to the single market or ‘go all the way’ to full membership. He said ministers would consider what was feasible and weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each path.

At Labour’s conference, Burnham said Brexit had done ‘more harm than good’ and promised to lay out choices around a planned UK-EU summit. That widened the terms of discussion compared with Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which ruled out a return to the single market or customs union and the restoration of freedom of movement. Neither his conference speech nor his subsequent interviews amounted to a decision to apply to rejoin the EU.

The Guardian separately reported that senior Downing Street officials had contacted thinktanks and pollsters to test public opinion on rejoining. Its reporting described differing views among officials about whether Labour should eventually make a re-entry pledge. No 10 said Burnham had not considered making such a promise in his conference speech and that it appeared in no draft. That distinction matters: officials exploring public support is a different step from adopting a government policy.

Responses in Britain and Europe

Conservative deputy leader Alex Burghart criticised Burnham’s argument, saying Labour could not blame a democratic vote more than a decade earlier for the consequences of its own economic decisions. His response shows that Reform is not alone in contesting how the government describes Brexit, even as the parties make different political arguments about what should happen next.

European leaders offered a different response. French President Emmanuel Macron said ‘Welcome back’ when asked about Burnham’s comments in Madrid on Wednesday and said a British move towards rejoining would be good news for both Britain and Europe. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain would welcome a UK bid. Their remarks welcomed the possibility; Britain has made no such bid.

An EU spokesperson told the Guardian that the UK was a close and valued partner and that the bloc remained open to engaging on options put forward by the British government. For now, the choice of what to propose rests with London. A welcoming response from European leaders does not settle the terms of any closer relationship.

When the government expects to set out its options

Burnham has said he intends to set out the options around a UK-EU summit expected in the second half of November. The cited reports did not establish an exact summit date or a settled government preference among the routes he listed. Farage has begun arguing against the prospect of rejoining before that choice is made, leaving the political dispute ahead of a formal policy decision.