Burnham wants UK back in EU within his lifetime

Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed Monday his aspiration to see the U.K. reintegrate with the European Union within his lifetime, but declined to push for a reversal of Brexit in the present parliamentary term. When questioned by ITV’s Good Morning Britain regarding his stance on rejoining the EU, Burnham stated, "I’m going to be honest and say, in my lifetime, I would like to see that happen but I am not going to move ahead of the public."

In a speech at the Labour Party’s conference last month, Burnham advocated for enhanced ties with the EU, yet the party’s 2024 election manifesto under Keir Starmer eschewed rejoining the single market, customs union, or permitting freedom of movement with the bloc. Burnham highlighted that the Brexit promises made during the 2016 referendum referendum have not been realized, stating, "We got a harder Brexit than was proposed in the referendum campaign.

It’s weakened our economy. It’s also weakened our control of immigration." He emphasized that there is no intention of rejoining the EU during the current parliament, noting, "We’re way, way away from that at this particular moment in time. What I am saying is we need to take some practical steps to make the arrangement work better than the arrangement we’ve got right now."

Burnham’s comments follow his assertion to the Sunday Times that the possibility of allowing freedom of movement with the bloc should not be excluded from future talks. A U.K.-EU summit is slated for the following month, with a focus on minor adjustments to the existing agreement rather than significant alterations to Britain’s long-term relationship with the bloc.