British PM Burnham says he wants UK to rejoin EU in his lifetime

LONDON – Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he wanted the UK to rejoin the European Union during his lifetime, calling for an “honest” discussion about the impact of Brexit.

“I don’t think things have worked out as people said they would,” Burnham told ITV of his country’s 2016 decision to leave the bloc, adding that he wasn’t proposing any changes during this Parliament. “I’m going to lead a discussion on how we make it better.”

Reshaping Britain’s relationship with the European Union has become one of Burnham’s key pledges since he became prime minister three months ago, as he gambles on revisiting a divisive issue that dominated UK politics over the last decade. The 56-year-old prime minister opened the door to rejoining the EU at his party’s annual conference in September, saying he would set out options for a new relationship later this year.

Burnham said he wouldn’t seek to re-run the 2016 referendum, nor break Labour’s 2024 election pledge not to join the EU’s single market or customs union.

He was speaking ahead of a UK-EU summit which is due to take place on Nov 20, when the premier has said he wants to make progress on boosting economic growth and tackling illegal immigration into the UK.

Burnham said he’s seeking a deal that aims “to support our farmers, our food manufacturers, but also to increase collaboration on immigration because we lost that and we need to get it back”, he told Sky News later on Oct 26. “I’m talking about practical steps to deal with the things that matter to people.”

He said the UK had stronger return agreements for the arrival of people in small boats when it was in the EU, and that immigrants have now become more likely to settle in the country permanently, rather than leaving after a few years. 

He added that he’ll “never move ahead” of public opinion on the issue of Brexit, though it’s unclear how he intends to achieve that. Asked whether Burnham would use a referendum or a general election to gain a mandate for his new EU position, his deputy official spokeswoman Cat Simmons declined to comment. 

“We’re not at that stage yet,” Simmons said to reporters at a briefing on Oct 26. “The first step here is the substance rather than the process.”

Burnham also used the ITV interview to rule out an early election, saying it’s not something he’s thinking about.

“There is no election coming any time soon,” he said. “Britain is starting to regain its momentum.” BLOOMBERG