UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has criticized the current Brexit agreement, stating that it falls short of serving Britain’s interests. He argued that the departure from the European Union has negatively impacted the country’s economy and complicated efforts to manage irregular migration. Despite these criticisms, Burnham ruled out any major changes to the UK’s relationship with the EU during the current parliamentary term.
Burnham contended that the form of Brexit Britain ended up with was harsher than what voters were promised during the 2016 referendum campaign. He noted that the current arrangements have failed to deliver anticipated benefits, particularly in terms of economic performance and immigration control.
When asked about the possibility of the UK rejoining the EU, Burnham expressed openness to the idea in his lifetime but emphasized that such a decision should be based on the wishes of the British public. He clarified that rejoining the EU was not on the agenda for the current parliamentary term and that his focus would be on practical measures to enhance existing arrangements.
On the topic of immigration, Burnham highlighted that Brexit has made it more challenging to return individuals who enter the country irregularly. He also supported proposed stricter settlement rules for foreign workers, advocating for permanent residency to be earned rather than automatically granted.
Burnham pointed to the upcoming UK-EU summit on November 20 as a potential opportunity to negotiate agreements that could benefit British food manufacturers and other businesses affected by trade barriers resulting from Brexit.
His comments come at a time when the government is navigating competing pressures regarding its European policy. Some Labour representatives from Brexit-supporting constituencies have expressed concerns that reopening the Brexit debate could provide political leverage to rival parties. Burnham reiterated that the government would not seek to rerun the Brexit referendum, underscoring that the future UK-EU relationship should be determined by voters.
In addition, Burnham dismissed the possibility of an early general election and emphasized the importance of the upcoming budget in delivering greater economic stability for both households and businesses.