Andy Burnham has said Brexit has “done more harm than good” and promised to launch a major review of the UK’s relationship with the EU, opening the door to a possible referendum on rejoining the union. He said he would “lay out options” around the time of the next EU-UK summit, due at the end of November or soon after. While he did not specify what those options would be, he did not explicitly rule out rejoining. Keir Starmer’s red lines of not rejoining the single market or customs union could now also be up for discussion within Labour’s ranks in the coming weeks. “I would be stunned if Starmer’s red lines are in the next manifesto,” said Joël Reland, senior research fellow at UK in a Changing Europe, a leading Brexit thinktank.
What exactly did Burnham say on the EU? “Brexit hasn’t given us control,” he said, arguing the UK had not only lost control of immigration – contrary to what Brexiters had promised – but also of the economy. “I will take the opportunity around the summit to lay out to you, to lay out to the country, what I believe the different options are for Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners,” he said. “There are different options and I will see if we can find consensus around one, which will give us clarity about our position and the future of the continent that we live in.”
Why is this significant? Going beyond Starmer’s reset ambitions is a risky move and will test Burnham’s ability to sell any closer relationship with the EU to a country still bruised by Brexit. The stakes are high. In the 10 years since the Brexit referendum, the UK has drifted from its nearest trading bloc. The UK has seen exports to the EU drop, travel restrictions for British passport holders and even potential new red tape for employers who send staff to the continent on short-term contracts. A fight is under way to prevent the UK from being further locked out of trade by being included in upcoming Made in Europe legislation designed to protect European supply chains from cheap Chinese imports. So far it has the backing of the Netherlands, Italy and Germany but not France.
So what are the options?
Long shot – rejoin the EU. Rejoining the EU would require a referendum in the UK and potentially years of de-Brexit negotiations. Plus, Brussels would need some cast-iron guarantees that the UK wouldn’t just walk out again. It would mean a return to freedom of movement allowing EU citizens to live and work in the UK, and vice versa – viewed as unchecked immigration by Brexiters – but would also offer total freedom to trade without checks on standards of goods or customs forms, adding a potential 3-5% to GDP, according to UKICE’s analysis.
The Swiss-style halfway house? Switzerland is not a member of the EU but it struck a deal last year cementing its “frictionless access” to the single market, access to the EU’s electricity market, space programmes, Erasmus and the Digital Europe research programme, and participation in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In exchange, Switzerland agreed to free movement of people and to pay €375m (£322m) a year into the EU’s economic and cohesion funds. The EU has previously offered the UK a Swiss-style deal but it was rejected by Boris Johnson because it required regulatory alignment and free movement.
Join the European Economic Area. Joining Norway and Liechtenstein in the EEA could add 2-3% to growth but would mean joining the single market, one of Starmer’s red lines, and accepting immigration of EU citizens again. The single market brings with it four freedoms of movement – labour (people), capital (money), services and trade (goods).
Associate membership. Although many have reported that the EU’s offer to Canada was the first time associate membership has come up, it is not. The EU can work expediently when the political need is there and three years ago mooted associate membership for Ukraine as a shortcut toThe long accession process. This could be an option that gives the UK a closer relationship with the EU than it currently has, without having to cross previously stated red lines. What is behind Burnham’s promise to redefine the UK’s relationship with Europe? Labour already sees its relationship with the EU as a point of difference from the staunchly pro-Brexit Reform UK, but has been nervous about handing Nigel Farage free political capital by suggesting Brexit could be reversed, or at least heavily watered down. But sources say there is now a recognition within the Labour party that the offer to the public must be bigger than the current reset. How long has Burnham got to set out a fresh Brexit review? Time is short. Burnham has said he wants to have the conversation about the options over the next two months, to coincide with the delayed EU-UK summit in Brussels, perhaps at the end of November.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of frequently asked questions about Andy Burnhams stance on the UKs relationship with the EU written in a natural tone with clear concise answers
Beginner Questions
1 Who is Andy Burnham
He is the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a prominent figure in the Labour Party He is known for advocating for more power for regions in the North of England
2 What does Andy Burnham want to do about the EU
He wants to rethink the UKs current deal with the EU He argues that the current relationship is hurting the UK economy and needs to be improved
3 Does he want the UK to rejoin the EU
No He has explicitly said that the UK will not rejoin the EU in the near future He respects the result of the 2016 referendum but wants to fix the problems the current deal has created
4 Why does he think the current deal is bad
He believes it creates too much red tape for businesses makes it harder to trade and damages key industries like manufacturing and music
5 What does Rethink actually mean
It means changing the rules of the current agreement to make trade easier rather than staying in the EU or having a complete hard Brexit
Intermediate Questions
6 What specific changes does he want to see
He is pushing for
A Customs Union This would remove tariffs and reduce paperwork for goods moving between the UK and the EU
Mutual Recognition If a product is approved for sale in the UK it should be accepted in the EU without extra testing
Youth Mobility A deal that makes it easier for young people to live and work in the EU
7 How is this different from what the Labour Party officially says
The official Labour leadership has ruled out a Customs Union to avoid reopening the Brexit debate Burnham is arguing that the economic damage is so bad that Labour needs to be bolder and consider a Customs Union
8 Would a Customs Union stop the UK from making its own trade deals
Yes Being in a Customs Union with the EU means the UK cannot strike independent trade deals with countries like the US or China This is the main tradeoff
