‘Brexit reset is coming!’ Burnham vows to strike fresh EU deals worth £10billion as he declares status quo ‘not good enough’
A UK-EU summit will take place on November 20 after being postponed owing to Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation.
Andy Burnham will use a UK-EU summit next month to push for closer ties with bloc.
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Alamy
Andy Burnham has called for a closer relationship between the UK and the European Union, declaring "sticking with the status quo is not good enough for Britain".Speaking to MPs on Monday, the prime minister said the government would seek to strengthen ties with the bloc, arguing that closer cooperation could boost economic growth, tackle migration and improve national security.He confirmed the next UK-EU summit would take place in Brussels on November 20, with discussions expected to focus on food and drink trade, emissions trading, energy cooperation, a youth experience scheme and immigration.Mr Burnham said a closer economic relationship could add more than £10bn a year to the UK economy by 2040.Read more: 'Highly likely' that Iran was behind the RAF Fairford 'terror plot', Burnham says as PM warns more sanctions could followRead more: ‘It’s only a matter of time before Britain is hacked!’: AI minister warns as he admits UK cyber defences ‘likely’ to be breached
Burnham made the statemet in the Commons.
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PA Images/Alamy
He argued reducing barriers to trade in British produce could help ease pressure on supermarket prices.Mr Burnham said: “It is in Britain's interests to secure a deal, and I will work hard over the next five weeks to achieve it.”He added: “If we are serious about promoting growth, controlling migration, upholding our values and our security, it is a conversation we must have.”Mr Burnham said the government should begin a wider discussion about the UK's long-term relationship with the EU after the November summit.He insisted the move did not amount to reopening the 2016 Brexit referendum, saying he respected the result.
Responding to Conservative MP Edward Leigh, who warned of difficult negotiations and the prospect of a worse deal, Mr Burnham said he would take a “pragmatic approach” where closer cooperation could benefit Britain.He said: “I am not reopening the referendum. I respect the referendum result.”The Prime Minister added that it would be a “dereliction of duty” for MPs to reject opportunities to boost the economy and strengthen cooperation on small boat crossings in the Channel.However, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the government's approach, accusing Mr Burnham of reopening Brexit arguments a decade after the referendum.She said the prime minister was unlikely to secure a better deal with the EU, describing the bloc as tough negotiators.
Ms Badenoch also accused him of revealing too much about the government's negotiating position, saying: “He has just blurted out everything he wants in this statement.”Mr Burnham said the government would proceed with care and transparency, insisting the public would remain in control of any decisions about the UK's future relationship with the bloc.He added: “This is the leadership we need to draw a line on a decade of drift and division and take the country forward.”
