A new poll commissioned by Public First for Politico reveals that half of Reform UK voters believe Britain should develop closer ties with the European Union, highlighting unexpected support for stronger EU relations even within the party most associated with Brexit support. The survey of over 2,000 UK adults, conducted in mid-September 2026, found that 70 per cent of voters overall want the government to build a closer relationship with Brussels, suggesting a significant shift in public sentiment on the EU question. This polling emerges as Prime Minister Andy Burnham has publicly opened the door to reversing Brexit entirely, stating he is willing to consider all options up to and including full rejoin of the European Union.

The poll demonstrates nuanced attitudes across the electorate: 31 per cent favour closer ties without adopting EU regulations, whilst 39 per cent support much closer cooperation even if it requires following some EU rules again. Amongst Reform supporters specifically, 51 per cent believe the current EU relationship is too distant—double the 25 per cent who disagree. Mr Burnham has signalled willingness to move beyond Labour's 2024 election commitments, which explicitly ruled out joining a customs union or single market, indicating he will present the public with various options at a UK-EU summit later in 2026 and potentially put the matter to a second referendum.