Burnham Hints at Future EU Rejoin Bid, Cites 'Outside Forces' in Brexit Vote

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that a future Labour manifesto could include a pledge to rejoin the European Union, while also asserting that "outside forces" manipulated the Brexit vote. Burnham's remarks come ahead of scheduled talks with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

Burnham stated that his "immediate priority" is to revitalize a stalled "reset" in UK-EU relations, attributing the current difficulties to the EU's protectionist plans. When questioned about the possibility of rejoining the EU, he declined to rule it out, describing it as a matter for "another day."

He suggested that the 2016 referendum result might be considered illegitimate, claiming it was influenced by "outside forces" attempting to "manipulate opinion." Burnham, a noted critic of Brexit, has previously expressed a desire for the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime and is expected to address the topic in an upcoming speech to the UN General Assembly, attributing a decade of decline to the decision to leave.

Burnham has pledged to adhere to Labour's existing "red lines" on Brexit, which exclude rejoining the single market or reinstating free movement. However, some Labour lawmakers are reportedly advocating for a campaign to rejoin the EU in the next election.

Speaking to reporters en route to New York, Burnham emphasized the current focus on an upcoming UK-EU summit. "Our focus at the moment is on a UK-EU summit which we hope will take place later this year," he said. "And as I said my immediate priority is to build on the good work that Keir did in rebuilding bridges. Because those bridges were broken in the early part of this decade. And Keir did a good job in re-establishing that relationship."

He added, "And what we have got to do is now go to the to the next level in terms of reaching practical agreement that will further boost the British economy. And those issues are the substance of the summit alongside EU requests around youth mobility." When pressed again on rejoining, he reiterated, "The other issues… they are for another day."

Burnham dismissed the notion of the UK becoming an associate member, noting the EU has "made it clear that that wasn't open to us." He further elaborated on his concerns about external influence, suggesting that Brexit was partly propelled by "outside actors" who "manipulated facts."

"I'm reflecting on that last decade. What we've experienced is when that turbulence comes when outside actors seek to manipulate, to distort facts, influence the British democratic process," Burnham stated. "Going into the next decade we need to be clear-eyed about that and become stronger and more on the front foot about challenging that. Perhaps Britain can say we have experienced some of the turbulence before others in terms of the politics of recent times. We need to be clearer where outside forces, our enemies, are trying to manipulate that opinion and feeling to serve their interests, not ours."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his wife Marie-France van Heel board a plane for the United States

The Prime Minister's discussions with von der Leyen are set against a backdrop of controversy surrounding the EU's "Made in Europe" initiative. This measure, intended to protect European companies from cheap Chinese imports, has raised concerns among British ministers about potential negative impacts on domestic industries, including British Steel.

Burnham is advocating for an exemption for the UK from this scheme ahead of the planned autumn summit. He indicated that he has "considerable support" from other EU leaders but has not yet secured agreement from Brussels.

"Europe's argument is not with us," Burnham said. "We both suffer the same effects as other countries particularly steel and the issue it raises for the steel industry in Europe and in Britain. We are making the argument we are not your enemies here...we are not the problem. Made in Europe is dealing with a different problem. We are making the argument that let's avoid collateral damage. Lets work towards a trusted partner approach that doesn't cause a problem where there wasn't a problem and where we have common cause."