Pressure mounts on Burnham to deepen UK-EU ties

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is under increasing pressure to soften Labour’s self-imposed ‘red lines’ ahead of an expected UK-EU summit next month at the earliest.

The summit, originally planned for July, was postponed due to Keir Starmer’s resignation, but Liberal Democrat party members have been urging Mr Burnham to “get the summit date in the diary”.

Mr Burnham has said that Brexit has resulted in low growth for the UK economy and has stated that the UK should be “bolder” in seeking closer relations. However, he has so far ruled out rejoining the single market or customs union.

The UK’s Trades Union Congress (TUC) is asking him to negotiate the “deepest possible partnership”, saying that no options should be off the table.

Two well-known former Labour leaders are also joining the calls, with Lord Kinnock urging Burnham to "put the case" for the UK rejoining the EU in the party's next manifesto, and Tony Blair publishing a report in which he states that "the UK must be in the room shaping Europe's future". 

Mr Blair adds: "We should be clear that we want back into a formal relationship with the EU,” Blair wrote. “But it must be a Europe on a credible path to reform, a Europe of nation states, a Europe capable of being a genuine global power.”

Mr Burnham, meanwhile, has not ruled out putting rejoining in the manifesto, recently saying that "it is a question for another day", when asked about this. He has stated, however, that he wants to "go to the next level", in terms of forging a closer relationship, continuing "the good work that Keir Starmer did in rebuilding bridges".

It comes as there are reports that a so-called 'Made in Europe' plan, being prepared via new EU legislation, is reportedly causing friction between the UK and EU.

The plan, which is still going through the EU legislative process, would introduce requirements for products to contain a substantial proportion of EU-made content in some public procurement and public support schemes, in sectors such as cars, steel, aluminium and clean technologies.

The UK wants to be included in this as a 'trusted partner' but some insiders say this risks derailing the hoped-for closer relations if the UK was to make setting the summit date dependent on this. 

Youth mobility and student fees

Annual summits were one of the measures agreed by the UK and EU last year as part of a policy of building closer ties that started with Starmer’s ‘Brexit reset’.

They are expected to revisit issues such as a deal on plant and animal health import rules and a new Youth Experience visa, making it simple for young people to come for a period of study, work or travel.

One contentious area is that the EU wants its students on the scheme to access ‘home’ fees, as opposed to ‘international’ fees, which can be more than £20,000/year.

British in Europe (BiE), which represents Britons abroad, is meanwhile highlighting that the university year 2027-28, for which applications are currently being prepared, will be the last in which young Britons from ‘Withdrawal Agreement’ families in France can access ‘home’ fees under post-Brexit transitional arrangements.

BiE wants this to be extended and is also asking Mr Burnham to ease UK immigration rules that impose strict income tests on mixed nationality couples – such as British and French – settling in the UK.

Potential further increases to the current £29,000 income requirement remain under review.