Andy Burnham asserts Brexit losses outweigh UK gains

Andy Burnham has declared that the United Kingdom has “lost more than we have gained” since leaving the European Union, the latest in a series of critical remarks on Brexit.

He outlined his intention to forge tighter relations with Brussels, accusing the Conservative government of having “burned all our bridges” with the bloc after Brexit. Burnham said a forthcoming agreement he hopes to secure at the next EU summit would lower food prices and boost revenue for British exporters.

He is scheduled to attend a summit with European leaders next week, aiming to finalize agreements that could increase GDP by 0.4% – roughly £17 bn – covering food and farming, emissions trading, and a youth mobility scheme. He will also “explore options” for an alternative long‑term relationship with Brussels.

Addressing the Welsh Labour conference on Saturday, Burnham said: “We need to be willing to take difficult decisions to bring down the cost of living. That is why, in a few days, I will travel to the next UK‑EU summit and will be working hard to secure a new food‑and‑farming agreement that benefits Welsh businesses.”

He added: “I believe we have lost more than we have gained over the past decade, and the Conservatives delivered a harsher Brexit than voters anticipated in 2016 because they severed all ties with the EU in the aftermath. As Prime Minister, I will lead on this issue and strive to obtain the best possible agreement for Wales—supporting Welsh farmers, shellfish exporters, and lamb producers.”

Burnham recently indicated he would consider rejoining the single market, the customs union, or even the EU itself, but emphasised on Saturday that voters would ultimately be “the boss” of any such changes.

He also reaffirmed Labour’s manifesto “red lines,” which rule out a return to the customs union, single market, or free movement. “People working together in unions—whether trade unions or unions of nations—that is what defines us,” he told the conference.

“And, yes, we will cooperate with the European Union while respecting our manifesto’s red lines and the referendum result. That is the approach I will take forward,” he said.

The government has already taken steps to align the UK more closely with Brussels. Earlier this month, the Guardian reported that the United Kingdom was ready to allocate up to £450 million annually to provide discounted university tuition fees for EU students, contingent on Brussels granting access to the Made in Europe industrial programme.

Earlier this week, Hamish Falconer, the cabinet minister overseeing EU negotiations, indicated that Britain was prepared to discuss contributing to infrastructure projects in less affluent EU regions in exchange for access to the European electricity market.

Despite Burnham’s recent pro‑EU remarks, senior Brussels officials have said they expect the United Kingdom to start paying for the European schemes it seeks to access.

Former EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told the BBC last week that “there will be no possibility to have one freedom and not the other; the four freedoms are the essential conditions for membership in the single market.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will meet Burnham on 20 November in Brussels for a summit at which agreements on food and drink, carbon emissions, and youth exchange could be finalised.

Barnier told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg last Sunday that the United Kingdom could not rejoin the single market “à la carte,” reiterating: “Throughout the negotiations I stressed that Brexit involves no cherry‑picking.”

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