Burnham opens door to UK rejoining EU but insists the subject is 'for another day'
The prime minister hinted at the UK's future return to the bloc ahead of a meeting with the president of the European Commission
Andy Burnham has refused to rule out rejoining the European Union; but insisted it was “a question for another day".
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The prime minister hinted at the UK's future return to the bloc ahead of a meeting with the president of the European Commission.
Mr Burnham refused to rule out the possibility of including a promise to rejoin in a future manifesto, stating it was a question “for another day”.
It comes as the prime minister is due to give a speech to world leaders later today who are gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Asked by reporters during his flight to New York on Monday if he would rule out a promise to return to the EU, Mr Burnham said: “Our focus at the moment is on a UK/EU summit which we hope will take place later this year.
He praised Sir Keir Starmer's work to improve the relationship with the EU and vowed to go further to build bridges with European allies.
“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.
“What we have got to do now is go 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.”
The prime minister has come under pressure from some within his party, including former leader Lord Neil Kinnock, who have called on him to include a pledge to rejoin the EU in Labour's next manifesto.
Mr Burnham added that he had concerns about the EU's protectionist “made in Europe” laws and its impact on British manufacturing.
“We do have concerns about Made in Europe, which is something that could affect British industry and British supply chains,” Burnham said.
He said he would bring up his concerns "in a constructive spirit" when he met with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday.
In his speech to the UN on Tuesday night, Mr Burnham is expected to reflect on the "turbulence" in the ten years since Brexit, and suggest that the 2016 referendum may have been "interfered" with.
“I’m reflecting on that last decade,” he told reporters. “What we’ve experienced is when that turbulence comes, when outside actors seek to manipulate, to distort facts, influence the British democratic process.
“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.”