Prime Minister Andy Burnham has faced renewed criticism following statements suggesting his recently agreed-upon European Union deal is merely a precursor to further "cosying up" to the bloc. Despite warnings from Brussels that the UK cannot "cherry pick" terms, Burnham indicated that the reset does not need to mark the "end of our ambition" for closer ties.
Burnham told the Sunday Mirror that the forthcoming deal, set to be unveiled on November 20, aims to reduce red tape on food imports and exports, potentially easing price pressures. "This summit will show what we can achieve when we work together, but it doesn't need to be the end of our ambition," he stated. "Working more closely with Europe could drive growth, make our country safer and give us more tools to tackle illegal migration. That's a conversation worth having."
However, these remarks have been met with strong opposition from Brexiteers. Former Tory home secretary Dame Priti Patel told the Daily Mail that Burnham, being unelected, has "no mandate to start negotiating or trying to drag us back into the EU, by the back door, in a way which is not transparent." She added, "The country has moved on and Burnham seems to be living in the past."
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis commented on Labour's approach, stating, "Labour is naive about this. There is no question it's a good thing to be reasonably close to your nearest ally and nearest neighbour. But not at any price, and certainly not at the price the Europeans will demand." Conservative peer Lord Redwood asserted, "The Prime Minister should come clean: going into the EU means dearer energy, higher taxes and slower growth."
Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has been accused of attempting to leverage Remembrance Sunday to advance an "EU membership pitch." Her department issued a statement saying, "We owe it to our brave veterans to repair these relationships with our friends in Europe." This statement drew sharp criticism from veterans. One ex-serviceman suggested veterans should have turned their backs during the Prime Minister's wreath-laying ceremony, and Falklands veteran Simon Weston expressed his astonishment, calling Nandy's comments "tragic" and "obtuse."
Nandy, speaking on Sky News's Sunday Morning programme, defended her remarks, stating she was "horrified" by the accusations. "I cannot see what is political about saying that we want young people from every part of this country to understand the contribution that their grandparents and great-grandparents made, not just to us, but to many, many lives of people that they had never met," she said.
She acknowledged that closer ties with the EU might involve "trade-offs" for Britain but appeared to suggest she does not favor rejoining the bloc, while still advocating for stronger relations to fulfill Brexit's promises. Michel Barnier, the EU's former chief Brexit negotiator, cautioned that closer ties would likely require the UK to accept free movement, telling the BBC, "There is no cherry picking. There will be no possibility to have one freedom and not the other."