Burnham calls for closer UK-EU ties ahead of November summit

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs on October 12 that the United Kingdom should pursue closer cooperation with the European Union, arguing that keeping the current relationship unchanged was not sufficient. He said the immediate priority was securing a successful outcome at a UK-EU summit scheduled for November 20 in Brussels, while also calling for a broader discussion of the relationship’s long-term direction afterward. Burnham said potential summit discussions could include a food and drink trade agreement, emissions trading, links between energy systems, a youth mobility or experience scheme, and cooperation on immigration. He presented these as areas where the UK and EU could make progress, not as agreements already reached. The summit had been postponed from the summer and rescheduled for November. The prime minister said closer cooperation could support economic growth and help control illegal immigration. He also said the public would remain in control at every stage. Burnham said he wanted a serious dialogue about different long-term options after the summit, but the reports do not establish a settled policy to rejoin the EU or a proposal for a new referendum.