Burnham to Tell MPs to Embrace Closer Ties With the EU
The prime minister is expected to tell the Commons today that it is time to “face up to the reality that Brexit has done more harm than good” and that “the status quo is not good enough for Britain”. A Downing Street source said failing to pursue a better deal would be “a major dereliction of duty”. He has not yet spoken.
What is actually on the table is narrower than the rhetoric suggests, and worth separating from it. The concrete asks are the removal of trade barriers, an agreement on food and agriculture standards to cut border checks and paperwork, and closer cooperation on migration, ahead of a summit with the European Union rescheduled for next month after being postponed in the summer. There is no commitment to the customs union or the single market. Andy Burnham has gone further rhetorically than his predecessor, opening the door at conference to options including rejoining, and saying last month that an in-out referendum in a future manifesto was “possible” — but none of that is in today’s statement. Kemi Badenoch calls reopening the debate “a terrible idea”: “So much time lost, arguing with ourselves with the EU. Going round in circles, businesses not knowing whether they should invest.” Senior Conservatives have promised to reverse any deal, including on food standards, which businesses warn would prolong the costs they already carry. Labour MPs in leave-voting seats are uneasy. The Commons sits today for the first time since 15 September, and Westminster Hall debates a petition to rejoin carrying more than 111,000 signatures.