# Europe minister suggests rejoining EU could be in next manifesto

**By:** Steerpike  
**Published:** 2026-07-27T11:30:22+00:00  
**Source:** [The Spectator](https://spectator.com/article/europe-minister-suggests-rejoining-eu-could-be-in-next-manifesto)

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It has only been a week since Andy Burnham’s big reshuffle and there are a fair few ministers still trying to get their feet under the desk. For Hamish Falconer, the newly-bumped-up Minister for European Relations, the world of Eurocrat lunchathons should make for a rather pleasant change from his previous post as the Minister for the Middle East. But in switching from ‘war war’ to ‘jaw jaw’, it seems that Falconer, son of Labour peer Charlie, will have to take care in minding his every word on the subject of Europe.
 With Burnham seemingly unable or unwilling to disclose his thinking on, er, anything, Falconer appeared on Sky News this morning to shine some light on his department’s post-Brexit strategy. The Lincoln MP grandly promised that the government would not backslide on the Brexit Referendum – while, um, suggesting that the world has changed sufficiently enough to warrant a second look at getting back into the supranational club. Falconer told the broadcaster that:
   The questions for the next manifesto are not yet sorted, but I think it’s been absolutely clear from what the Prime Minister has said, and I share his views on this. Look, we had this vote ten years ago. It was the will of the country, it was the will of my own constituency as well. We’re not backsliding from that. The world has changed since 2016. We need to make sure that our relationship with Europe changes, too. Europe and the UK both face real challenges…. We’re not talking about rejoin today. What we do in our next manifesto will obviously be a question for the Labour Party.
 
 So, not a no then to rejoining the EU being in Labour’s manifesto. Mr S just wonders when that next election could be. With Burnham seemingly determined to build up his capital, perhaps Minister Falconer will be publicly urging a rejoin vote sooner than many first thought…