Germany’s ambassador in London said Berlin wants the United Kingdom back inside the European Union after Prime Minister Burnham signalled he might stage another vote on the 2016 departure or ignore that result. European governments welcomed the chance that Britain’s left-wing administration could reverse the exit, and French President Emmanuel Macron this week attacked the original Leave campaign.

Ambassador Susanne Baumann told The Daily Telegraph that her government views Britain as central to Europe in every era and would partner with London on the closest possible arrangement, while leaving the degree of closeness to British voters. Nigel Farage said on Thursday that Burnham’s break with an earlier pledge not to reopen the issue would boost Reform UK, and that a return would require adopting the euro plus still looser borders. Critics have blamed remain-backing parties’ handling of the exit for weak results and for talk of rejoining, and some have warned any new terms would be worse than the old ones.