Burnham's EU Push Divides Labour Cabinet Ahead of Summit

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told his Cabinet this week that "we have ended up with a harder Brexit than people voted for," opening a debate inside his own party over how far Britain should move back toward the European Union, the BBC reported.

What is Burnham proposing on the EU?

Burnham has signaled openness to arguments for rejoining the EU single market — and the freedom of movement that would accompany it — and even for EU membership itself, according to the BBC. He told ministers "no sensible person thinks the deal negotiated by the Tories is working for the country." The remarks come as he prepares to meet European leaders in Dublin, Ireland, on Thursday for the first time since taking the stance, ahead of a foreign policy speech next week in which Europe will be "a central plank," the broadcaster reported.

What happens at the Brussels summit?

Burnham is due to travel to Brussels, Belgium, for a UK-EU summit to sign agreements on food, energy and youth mobility, according to the BBC. He framed the stakes to ministers in direct terms: "We will take opportunities that make people in this country better off. There is a significant prize." The summit follows a draft deal reached on November 3 to scrap Brexit-era red tape on food exports, the BBC reported separately.

Why is Labour divided over closer EU ties?

Support and caution run through the Cabinet in roughly equal measure, per the BBC's reporting. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner is described as having pressed former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to adopt a bolder line on Brexit since at least autumn 2022, while insisting Labour hold to manifesto commitments against rejoining the single market, customs union or freedom of movement — for now. One unnamed Cabinet minister told the BBC: "The best thing you can do in politics is tell the truth. And the truth is that Brexit has been hugely damaging to Britain. We are not leading a public conversation here, we are racing to catch up with the public."

"We are not leading a public conversation here, we are racing to catch up with the public."

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has taken a more guarded position, warning of the "costs and consequences" of both rejoining the EU and remaining outside it, according to the BBC. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds backs closer engagement but has resisted customs union membership and voiced uncertainty about what terms Britain would face if it sought to rejoin — and what shape the bloc itself might take given the rise of nationalist parties across several European states, the broadcaster reported.

Who outside government is warning against the approach?

A former Cabinet minister described Burnham's strategy to the BBC as "high risk." Former Prime Minister Lord Cameron told Bloomberg journalist Mishal Husain that opening a conversation about rejoining the EU would be "very long and painful," according to the BBC's account of his remarks.

What did Burnham say about a referendum?

Burnham has previously called a Brexit referendum "possible" in a future Labour election manifesto, the BBC reported on September 30, underscoring that the question of Britain's EU relationship is likely to extend well beyond this week's diplomatic calendar in Dublin and Brussels.