Fury erupts as French minister tells Britain it can 'come back anytime' to EU amid Burnham's Berlin visit

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026.

Brexiteers have rounded on French finance minister Roland Lescure after he publicly urged Britain to rejoin the EU, calling the bloc a place that sees the UK as "Treasure Island, a place to plunder". Lescure told the BBC that British people could "come back, anytime" as Prime Minister Andy Burnham held face-to-face talks with German chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin and acknowledged going "all the way" to full EU membership remains an option on the table.

Lord Redwood warned rejoining would cost billions annually, saying the EU is "a slow-growth zone weighed down by high taxes, big EU charges, large debts and too many anti-business rules."

Burnham and Merz also signed a joint UK-Germany security framework to share intelligence and counter Russian hybrid threats and cyber attacks.