Burnham promises new direction as Labour conference opens

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is using Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool to promise a new direction for the country, as his government faces economic pressures ahead of its first Budget. Burnham said he would set out his plans in a keynote speech on Tuesday, after describing the decade since Brexit as marked by drift and division. The conference opened Sunday, September 27, with Burnham’s leadership drawing renewed attention to Labour’s priorities and its approach to the European Union. He has promised closer ties with the bloc, but it remains unclear whether his speech will propose a specific change or endorse rejoining. Labour was elected in 2024 on a commitment not to rejoin the EU or enter its single market for goods, services and employment. Ben Judah, a former government adviser, has urged Burnham to call an early general election and make rejoining the EU the party’s ultimate objective. Judah argued that a staged approach could begin with the customs union or single market. His proposal is not an announced government policy. Burnham has separately said he is not considering an early election, according to his remarks to ITV reported before the conference.