Macron welcomes possibility of closer UK-EU ties

French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed suggestions that Britain could seek a closer relationship with the European Union, including eventual membership, after comments by Andy Burnham at the Labour party conference. “Welcome back,” Macron said in English at a news conference in Madrid on Wednesday. He later said that if British people wanted to return and the prime minister was moving in that direction, it would be good news for Britain and Europeans.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain would open its arms to any British application to rejoin the EU. Burnham had said Britain needed to decide on a long-term relationship with what remains its largest market and that Brexit had done more harm than good. In subsequent interviews, Burnham listed several possibilities, including maintaining the current arrangement, joining a customs union, returning to the single market or seeking full EU membership.

Macron said Britain had been a demanding but useful partner when it was part of the bloc and argued that it could not select some of the union’s freedoms while rejecting others. European officials welcomed the change in tone but said the initiative had to come from Britain. A European Commission spokesperson said the UK was a close and valued partner and that it was for the British government to set out how it wanted to develop relations.

The options carry different conditions. Customs-union membership would require alignment with EU trade policy and tariffs, while single-market membership would involve accepting free movement of people, goods, services and capital, according to the report. The EU and UK are expected to hold a summit in Brussels in the second half of November.

The British government has made restoring access to the bloc’s “Made in Europe” initiatives a priority, although officials do not expect that issue to be settled at the summit. Macron said closer ties would require Britain to accept the obligations that accompany them.