France's Lescure Tells UK to 'Come All the Way' Back to EU

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told the BBC that Britain is welcome to "come all the way" back into the European Union, after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a second Brexit referendum was "possible" in a future Labour election manifesto.

What did Lescure say about the UK rejoining the EU

Asked about Burnham's comments, Lescure told the BBC the decision to leave the bloc belonged to the British public alone. "British people decided, and that's obviously their 100% right, and if they're willing to come back, they will have to decide," he said.

"What I can tell them is: come back, anytime."

Lescure also described Brexit itself as "very sad" in the interview, while stressing that membership carries trade-offs. Being in the bloc, he said, "comes with some difficulties," but it allows members to better address the challenges facing the world.

Why is Andy Burnham reconsidering Brexit

Burnham said last week the UK needed to "consider the options," a range that stretches from keeping the current arrangement to rejoining the customs union or single market, or going "all the way" back into the EU. His remarks came as he also raised concerns about a planned EU industrial policy that could disadvantage British manufacturers who remain outside the bloc.

How would the EU's Made In Europe plan affect British industry

Burnham has warned that the EU's proposed Made In Europe scheme, designed to protect European industry from Chinese competitors, could damage UK supply chains if Britain is excluded. The plan would give companies based inside the EU priority for public contracts and subsidies. The bloc's car industry has pressed for the UK to be included, arguing exclusion would disrupt its own supply chains.

Asked whether Britain could be left out, Lescure framed the issue as a function of membership rather than a side deal. "Come back, and you'll be at the table, and we discuss all these things together," he said, according to the BBC.

What is driving the student protests in France

The same interview touched on domestic unrest, with more than 500 schools fully or partially shut as of Wednesday amid protests over school conditions, the BBC reported. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets.

Lescure said it is a "tough world" for young people and that leaders have a duty to respond. "Our duty as leaders is to listen to them," he said. He acknowledged the fiscal tension behind the unrest: "It's hard to tell young people we're not going to have the money for you because we're spending a lot on health and pensions." He added that rising longevity and health spending have squeezed other budget priorities, saying the government needs to "rebalance" spending toward younger generations. He said not all French schools are in poor condition but promised further investment in education, adding, "If we need to do more, we'll have to see."

How serious is France's budget deficit

Lescure called France's public borrowing, which the BBC reported at more than 5% of gross domestic product annually, "alarming," and said that is "why we need to act now" rather than face forced action later from markets pushing up borrowing costs. To narrow the gap, he said the coming French budget will cut back on health spending and ask retirees to accept a pension increase below the rate of inflation next year.

What to watch

• Whether Burnham's referendum language appears in a formal Labour manifesto commitment ahead of the next UK election.
• How the EU's Made In Europe scheme is finalized, and whether any carve-out or side agreement emerges for UK-based manufacturers.
• The scale of further school closures or protest turnout in France as the government finalizes budget cuts to health and pension spending.
• Market reaction to France's borrowing costs as the government moves on its deficit-reduction plan.

The full BBC interview with Lescure, including his remarks on both UK-EU relations and France's domestic budget fight, is available from BBC News.

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