Andy Burnham claims Brits ‘anticipate him to seize EU cope with each arms’
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has claimed that Brits expect him to take a new deal with the EU “with both hands” as he defended plans for a new agreement
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Brits expect him to ‘grab’ a new EU deal(Image: Aaron Chown/Press Association)
Brits expect Andy Burnham to grab a new EU deal “with both hands”, the Prime Minister claimed as he defended his plans. He said the public will expect the Government to grab the opportunity to boost economic growth through closer trade ties with the EU.
The Prime Minister spoke about his plans to accept a new agreement with Brussels on food and farming as he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua.
Asked if he believed it was acceptable for the UK to have its rules on food trade made by the EU without any input, Burnham told broadcasters: “What’s facing me two weeks on Friday is a UK-EU summit where I have the opportunity to add to UK growth.
Burnham spoke during his visit to Osbourn, Antigua for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Image: Kin Cheung/Press Association)
“It’s estimated up to 0.4% extra on GDP. I think people in Britain would expect me to take that with both hands, given where we’ve been in recent times, and that’s what I’m doing.
“We’re not in the EU, therefore, we do have to work with them in a different way.
“But if that can get growth, if that can help our farmers, if that can remove red tape from British businesses, I think most people would expect me to go to that summit and negotiate the best deal that I can.”
Burnham attended a reception for new Commonwealth Heads of Government during the visit by King Charles(Image: Getty Images)
Burnham wants to lock in deals on food and drink, emissions trading and a youth mobility scheme at a Brussels summit on November 20.
In a sign that a food and agriculture deal is almost finalised, a draft text has been circulated among the 27 EU members, the BBC reported, along with similar documents on the emissions trading and youth mobility plans.
Burnham has told ministers that the period beyond the summit would be to “explore options” for the long-term relationship that will eventually be put to the public.
His remarks in recent weeks have fuelled questions about the prospect of the UK returning to the EU or adopting its freedom of movement rules, but in a separate interview airing on Tuesday he insisted voters would ultimately be “the boss” of any changes.
“I have not proposed freedom of movement coming back,” he told ITV News.
“I do believe that we should have an honest discussion with people about how immigration has changed since the Brexit vote because the shorter-term migration of people coming from Europe and then going back has been replaced with long-term settlement in bigger numbers, and that was the Boriswave.”
Burnham, who fought a by-election in Leave-voting Makerfield that served as a stepping stone into No 10 with a promise not to “re-run” Brexit arguments, said he had noticed during the campaign that public opinion had changed in the constituency over the decade since the 2016 Brexit vote.
The Prime Minister has, however, committed to sticking to red lines set out in Labour’s manifesto – which rule out returning to the customs union, single market or free movement – for the duration of this Parliament.
Burnham also told his Cabinet to avoid publicly backing specific options for the UK’s future relationship with the EU in a letter seeking to clarify his stance.
