Andy Burnham provokes Brexiteer fury as he opens door to rejoin plan
The Prime Minister has left the door open to putting the case for Britain rejoining the European Union in Labour's next election manifesto.
Andy Burnham sparked fury by refusing to rule out a pledge to rejoin the EU at the next election.
The Prime Minister said whether Labour could promise to take Britain back into the bloc in its next manifesto was a question “for another day”.
Brexiteers accused the Labour leader of looking to the past, not the future and the opportunities made possible by leaving the EU.
Former Cabinet Minister Sir John Redwood said: “Rejoining the EU means trampling on our biggest ever democratic vote.It would bring higher taxes, slower growth and more unwanted laws like last time. Back to the seventies to go bankrupt with Labour.”
Conservative MP Dame Priti Patel warned Labour and Mr Burnham’s “covert rejoin agenda will leave Britain worse off and destabilise the economy”.
She added: “They would undermine existing trading relationships and new global opportunities to rejoin a club which British taxpayers would have to pay billions into.
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
You May Like
Trade Gold Price Moves as They HappenTake advantage of opportunities in the gold market with CFDs. Trade with spreads from 0.0 pips, fast execution leverage up to 1:2000, and professional trading platforms.Trading in securities involves significant risk.IC|
Sponsored
“Britain needs a government focused on addressing the challenges we face, not Labour ministers blaming everyone else for the mess they've left the country in and who are desperate to surrender powers and money to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.”
Mr Burnham’s remarks signal a significant shift in tone from predecessor Sir Keir Starmer, who vowed to “make Brexit work” and ruled out returning to the EU, Single Market or customs union.
Mr Burnham was pressed on his Brexit plans as he flew to New York for his first United Nations General Assembly as Prime Minister.
He said: “Our focus at the moment is on a UK-EU summit which we hope will take place later this year.
“My immediate priority is to build on the good work that Keir did in rebuilding bridges.
“Because those bridges were broken in the early part of this decade, and Keir did a good job in re-establishing that relationship.
“What we have got to do is now go to the next level in terms of reaching practical agreement that will further boost the British economy.”
Referring to rejoining the EU, he added: “The other issues you discuss… they are for another day.”
Tory MP Wendy Morton said: “Andy Burnham came to power with no plan and no idea how to fix our broken economy or welfare system and fund our defence. Now it seems he is taking a leaf out of the Liberal Democrats’ book and looking to blame a vote that happened a decade ago for the problems he and his party have caused. On this, like so many things, he seems increasingly like Continuity Keir.”
Mr Burnham has previously said he wants Britain to rejoin the EU “within my lifetime”, although he later rowed back, saying he was not proposing doing so and respected the 2016 referendum.
The Prime Minister met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in New York on Tuesday as he tries to deepen ties with Brussels.
But he warned the EU’s “Made in Europe” measures could hurt British firms and supply chains.
Mr Burnham said: “We do have concerns about Made in Europe, which is something that could affect British industry and British supply chains.
“I will, in a constructive spirit, put on the table some of our concerns towards those things, at the same time as working towards what we hope will be a successful EU-UK summit later this year.”
May you like
Mark Francois MP, chairman of the European Research Group, said: “You only have to read Andy Burnham’s book, ‘Head North’, which he co-authored with Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotherham in 2024, to realise that he is slavishly pro-the EU and wants to rejoin it.
"However, just as he did during the Makerfield by-election, he wants to mask this, for fear of alienating Leave voters. Make no mistake, despite the referendum, B
