Britainupdated 1h ago2 min read
Andy Burnham Vows To Renegotiate Post-Brexit EU Trade Deal At Brussels Summit
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Burnham vows to renegotiate post-Brexit trade deal with the EU at Brussels summit. He argues EU ties are needed, saying Brexit has harmed Britain and must be pursued.
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Burnham seeks EU renegotiation
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham vowed to push for closer relations with the European Union and confirmed he will attend a bilateral summit in Brussels next month. Burnham told parliament that parts of the trade deal agreed with the EU after the UK voted to leave in 2016 would be renegotiated, and he said the British public would be “the boss” at every stage of renegotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU. Burnham said his focus at the summit would include boosting growth in the economy and controlling illegal immigration, and he said “Sticking to the status quo is not good enough.”
Burnham also said it was “clear” Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum and warned that French and German voters faced the same threat. Kemi Badenoch said Burnham would be unable to secure a better deal because the EU was ” tough negotiators” and warned he had already “shown his hand.”
Opposition and Russia dispute
Kemi Badenoch told MPs it was “a terrible idea” to “reopen the Brexit debate” and said “So much time lost, arguing with ourselves with the EU.” A No 10 source told MPs that “Sticking with the status quo and not working relentlessly to secure a good deal that boosts growth would be a major dereliction of duty.” Nigel Farage accused Burnham of being a “liar” and said “There was no Russian interference, and the Russia hoax has run all the way through this.”
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty declined to provide details of what form Russian interference took in 2016 and said “I’m not going to get into the specifics of Russia’s actions against the UK.” Doughty added that “Russia is attempting to interfere in democratic processes, not just in the UK but across Europe,” and he said Russia was spending £1.5 billion on disinformation this year.
Summit targets and stakes
Burnham said the UK-EU summit fixed for November 20 in Brussels would be an opportunity to make progress on boosting UK growth and controlling illegal immigration. The summit talks would also seek to sign a new food and drink agreement, a youth mobility scheme and a pact on emissions trading, which Burnham hoped could provide a £10 billion boost to the economy. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said a food and drink agreement would allow “the importation of fresh British produce” into the EU and that “the EU for goods purposes includes Gibraltar.”
Alex Freudmann said a deal to cut red tape for food and drink would mean “fresher food and fuller shelves” while he cited that “Now it needs over 200” documents for an M&S Food shipment to Northern Ireland. The European Council president Antonio Costa said “The European Union and the United Kingdom are like-minded partners” and said “Our security and prosperity are closely intertwined, making a strong partnership between us essential.”