Former UK prime minister Tony Blair says Britain should work toward rejoining the European Union within the next 10 years, urging renewed consideration of EU membership after leaving in 2020 following the 2016 referendum.
Blair’s comments come as Labour figures and other political actors face renewed pressure to revisit Brexit. The Guardian reports that the timing relates to Labour leader Andy Burnham and his plans set out for November, amid suggestions that pledges to rejoin could strengthen Labour’s electoral prospects. Other coverage highlights that Blair’s stance is supported by policy work from the Tony Blair Institute, which argues for moving away from constraints set by current Labour “Brexit red lines,” particularly regarding rejoining the single market and customs union.
One source also points to analysis from another influential think tank focusing on the scale of economic losses, including impacts on exports, linked to Brexit. Across outlets, the emphasis differs between political timing and electoral implications, and the emphasis on policy and economic arguments, but all report Blair’s call to move toward EU re-engagement over the coming decade.
