BLAIR URGES UK TO COMMIT TO REJOINING EU WITHIN A DECADE

Sir Tony Blair has said the UK should commit to rejoining the European Union within a decade. The former prime minister called for a "new approach" to Britain's post-Brexit relations in a Tony Blair Institute report titled "Beyond Leave and Remain: A Path to Rejoining a Reformed Europe". He said Andy Burnham's government should seek a "structured formal relationship" with the EU rather than return to the single market and customs union. The report calls for a public commitment to rejoin a "significantly reformed" EU within ten years, as part of the government's forthcoming ten-year plan.

Sir Tony pointed to the EU's move to invite Canada to become its first associate member as evidence of "newfound flexibility" towards non-member states. He cited Mario Draghi's report on EU competitiveness as having identified the reforms needed, saying implementation remained the challenge. In the report's foreword, he wrote: "The red lines which we drew in 2016 are not the same as 2026." A separate report by the Institute for Public Policy said £6.5bn a year is lost in exports to the EU due to a lack of mutual recognition of standards.

A parliamentary debate on rejoining the EU is scheduled for 12 October, after a European Movement UK campaign backing the petition passed 20,000 signatures. The pollster Sir John Curtice has said support for rejoining the EU is at its highest level since the 2016 referendum. A separate analysis found that all but four of Great Britain's 632 constituencies would support returning to the bloc. During a recent trip to New York, Burnham did not rule out including a commitment to rejoin the EU in Labour's next manifesto when asked about the possibility.