Emmanuel Macron brands Brexit 'biggest lie of the last 30 years' and welcomes Britain back into EU

"If the British want to come back and if the Prime Minister is moving in that direction, I think that is very good news, both for his country and for the Europeans," he said.

His remarks came after Andy Burnham told GB News rejoining the bloc was on the table for Britain's long-term future.

Spain's socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his country would open its arms to a bid from the UK to rejoin the EU.

Mr Macron then blamed Brexit for the small boat migrant crisis - though his police have been blamed for letting dinghies cross into Britain.

He said: "Brexit is the biggest lie of the last 30 years. Those who said, 'we'll be richer' - eight points less of GDP 10 years later.

"Who said: 'We'll solve the problem of immigration' - it's more complicated than before.

"And who said: 'We're going to be a huge success in international trade' - it's even worse."

Emmanuel Macron said if the UK wanted to rejoin the bloc it would be 'very good news'

REUTERS

Then, in English, he said: "Welcome back."

France and Britain's failed "one-in one-out" deal was scrapped on Wednesday after Mr Macron pushed for a different deal that would have seen migrants from across the EU funnelled to Britain.

Mr Burnham also said in his first Labour conference speech the UK that Brexit had done "more harm than good".

He would later tell GB News the "right way to lead" was to consider all the "broad options" over the UK's relation to the EU.

"George Osborne's put an option forward," he said. "Canada have talked about a different relationship with the European Union."

Emmanuel Macron welcomed Britain back into the EU at a press conference alongside Pedro Sanchez

REUTERS

Mr Osborne insisted the Prime Minister should "rejoin the customs union", calling it a "pretty straightforward decision".

Canada, meanwhile, has been invited by Ursula von der Leyen to become an "associate member" of the bloc - but it remains unclear what that actually means.

Sandro Gozi, an Italian Social Democrat MEP, said Mr Burnham's change in tone was a "welcome and important step".

"Burnham has finally swept away the so-called red lines that have constrained the debate on Britain’s relationship with Europe," he told The Guardian.

Mr Gozi, who co-chairs the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, said Europe should respond with "the same openness".

Pedro Sanchez said his country would open its arms to a bid from the UK to rejoin the EU

REUTERS

He added: "We should be ready to turn the page and build a new EU-UK partnership, removing unnecessary barriers and restoring much closer economic and political cooperation."

The UK will hold a long-delayed "reset" summit in Brussels in the second half of November.

A key issue will be Britain's exclusion from the Made in Europe scheme, which will prioritise European-made goods to curb reliance on overseas imports.

Mr Macron has strongly opposed the UK's inclusion in the scheme, saying it cannot "choose between the freedoms of the union, nor can you decide to take what suits you and leave the rest".

A European Commission spokesman said: "The UK is a close and valued partner of the European Union. It is for the UK government to set out how it wishes to develop its relationship with the EU going forward. We remain open to engaging on the options it may put forward."