Germany has offered to act as a “partner” to Britain if Prime Minister Andy Burnham seeks to deepen the country’s relationship with the European Union, opening a new front in the increasingly charged debate over the future of Brexit.
Susanne Baumann, Germany’s ambassador to the UK, said Berlin would support efforts to build the closest possible relationship between Britain and Europe, while stressing that the ultimate decision rested with the British people.
Her intervention comes after Mr Burnham said Britain could not be “left out” of discussions about the future of its relationship with the EU and that he would have to consider all available options.
The comments have reignited a political argument that has remained highly divisive since the 2016 referendum, when voters chose to leave the European Union.
Ms Baumann told the Telegraph: “For us Germans, the UK is an integral part of Europe – its history, its present and its future.
“I was therefore glad to hear the Prime Minister speak about different options for the UK’s relationship with Europe.
“It is, of course, for the British people to decide how close they want that relationship to be. But let me be clear: in Germany you will always find a partner for setting the ambition as high as we can.”
Her comments could intensify pressure on Mr Burnham as his government considers how far Britain should seek to rebuild economic and political ties with Brussels.
For supporters of closer integration, the prospect of a significantly warmer relationship with the EU could offer opportunities to reduce barriers created by Brexit. For opponents, however, any move towards renewed integration risks reopening one of the most politically contentious questions in modern British politics.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has already positioned his party against any attempt to reverse Brexit.
Speaking to Reform supporters in Doncaster, Mr Farage said he was prepared to “fight” Mr Burnham to ensure Britain remained outside the EU.
“He might just give me the biggest boost in my career ever,” Mr Farage said.
The exchange sets up a potentially significant political confrontation, with Germany signalling its willingness to support closer British-European ties while Reform has vowed to oppose any attempt to move Britain back towards the EU.
For Berlin, the language is deliberately supportive rather than prescriptive. Ms Baumann made clear that Germany would not determine the nature of Britain’s future relationship with Europe.
But her remarks underline the willingness of one of the EU’s most influential member states to engage with a British government contemplating a different relationship with the bloc.
The political stakes are high. Brexit was endorsed by a majority of voters in the 2016 referendum, and successive governments have sought to define the country’s relationship with the EU outside the bloc.
Mr Burnham’s comments suggest that debate is now entering a new phase, in which the question is no longer simply how Brexit should be implemented, but how far Britain should reconsider its relationship with Europe.
The response from Reform indicates that any move in that direction is likely to face a determined domestic political challenge.
With Berlin offering to be a partner and Mr Farage promising to “fight”, the argument over Britain’s place in Europe is once again moving towards the centre of the political battlefield.
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