British prime minister does not rule out the country's return to the EU

The United Kingdom may remain outside the EU, but it could also return to the European community if that is the will of the population.

This was stated in an interview with the BBC radio station by the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham.

"We can leave everything as it is. That is definitely one of the options, if people believe the current situation is worth preserving. We can study what [former finance minister] George Osborne said about the customs union, we can consider the Liberal Democrats' proposal on the single market, which they spoke about at their conference, or we can go all the way," Burnham said.

In 2016, ahead of the referendum in which the British voted by a narrow margin for a "divorce" from Brussels, he advocated preserving membership and criticized supporters of withdrawal.

The day before, speaking at the conference of the ruling Labour Party, which he heads, the prime minister noted that he would try to "find a consensus" in order to determine the country's long-term position on this issue, but he did not explain how this would be done. "Brexit has done more harm than good," the head of government noted.

The referendum on the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU took place on June 23, 2016. 51.9% of Britons voted to end membership, and 48.1% voted against. After several years of negotiations, the kingdom left the community on the night of February 1, 2020. On January 1, 2021, the transition period that was in effect after Brexit was implemented expired, during which all European rules applied to the United Kingdom. In December 2020, the parties concluded a deal on post-Brexit relations, which entails a free trade zone for goods and services without quotas and tariffs, as well as the possibility for British citizens to visit the EU and vice versa without a visa for up to 90 days.

Source: TASS