Burnham Urges Closer EU Ties at 1-Month Summit, Citing Brexit Harm

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 12

Andy Burnham will tell MPs on Monday that refusing a closer EU relationship would be a “dereliction of duty” if Brussels is willing to negotiate, marking his clearest push yet to revisit post-Brexit ties.
A new deal, he is expected to argue, could lift growth and help curb illegal immigration because Brexit weakened cooperation with European partners and left the current status quo “not good enough for Britain.”
The push comes ahead of a UK-EU summit rescheduled for next month after Keir Starmer’s resignation delayed a summer meeting; Burnham wants both near-term tweaks and talks on a longer-term settlement.
The move also reopens a divisive political debate: Burnham said last month a future Labour manifesto could include a new in-out referendum, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch last week called reopening Brexit “a terrible idea.”