Culture Secretary Nandy Warns Against Rehashing Brexit Divisions as Government Pursues EU Reset

One of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s senior ministers has cautioned against reviving “circular arguments” over whether the United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union, exposing a rift at the heart of government over revisiting the Brexit settlement.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy signaled she does not support a return to the trade bloc, but insisted the prime minister must still pursue closer ties to honor the commitments made during the 2016 referendum campaign.

Nandy is among a small group of cabinet ministers who privately fear that Burnham’s call for an “honest conversation” with the public about Brexit could reignite a polarizing debate that would primarily benefit Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.

“I do not believe that anybody wants to repeat circular arguments about in or out, leave or remain. I do think, though, that over the last decade we have let the British people down very badly,” she told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.

Nandy, whose Wigan constituency voted overwhelmingly for Leave in 2016 and who ranks among the cabinet’s most cautious voices on reversing Brexit, was asked directly whether she favored rejoining. “I don’t know if that’s a choice we have,” she replied.

She did, however, acknowledge that Burnham is attempting to address the shortcomings of the existing Brexit deal, telling Sky News it was vital to “be honest” and highlight that “the deal that we got is not what we were promised.”

The culture secretary emphasized that “trade-offs and choices” must be confronted through a national dialogue, signaling that Brexit will remain a central theme in the next election campaign.

Burnham is scheduled to attend the European Political Community summit in Dublin on Thursday. Downing Street sources said he intends to use the gathering to finalize Labour’s reset agreement and to hold introductory meetings with numerous European leaders.

Privately, EU counterparts are expecting Burnham to outline ambitions for deeper integration after he declared his intention to move beyond Labour’s current “red lines” on the bloc following the next election.

At a Brexit reset meeting in Brussels on 20 November, agreements on agriculture and food standards, emissions trading, and youth experience visas are expected to be confirmed.

Burnham suggested at the weekend that further progress lies ahead. “This summit will show what we can achieve when we work together, but it doesn’t need to be the end of our ambition,” he told the Sunday Mirror.

Officials will also discuss the agenda for the next phase of the reset, which could include another attempt to secure UK participation in the EU’s €150 billion (£125 billion) SAFE defence fund, enhanced cooperation on law enforcement and border security, and visas for touring artists.

Shortly after the Brussels summit, Burnham is expected to deliver a speech setting out options for a closer relationship with the EU, arguing it serves the UK’s long-term interest. Number 10 sources said he wants to “frame the conversation, not go straight to the endgame” before testing public opinion.

Senior government figures say Burnham aims to secure a mandate to begin formal negotiations with the EU in Labour’s next election manifesto, with any subsequent referendum being strictly confirmatory in nature.

“You can’t ask people to vote on an undefined plan like in 2016. That was David Cameron’s mistake,” one source said.

Nevertheless, Burnham has encountered reservations within his own cabinet. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood are understood to be wary of pushing for a full return to EU membership.

The EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, warned that London cannot expect a “single market à la carte” by cherry‑picking which of the four freedoms—including freedom of movement—it wishes to retain in future talks.

“There is no cherry‑picking. There will be no possibility to have one freedom and not the other,” he told the BBC.

Nandy was also forced to reject allegations that linking the UK’s rejoining of the Erasmus+ scheme to Remembrance Sunday was inappropriate, after she suggested the move would help honor “the immense courage of those who served our country.”

Conservative Party Chair Kevin Hollinrake accused her of exploiting the national civic occasion to “try to make an EU membership pitch,” adding: “Our veterans did not fight for a student exchange scheme.”

Speaking on Sky News, Nandy responded: “They are the only party that is talking about Brexit and the EU. What we are announcing this weekend is that we’re going to widen the Erasmus scheme.

“I cannot see what is political about saying that we want young people from every part of this country to understand the contribution that their grandparents and great‑grandparents made, not just to us but to many, many lives of people that they had never met,” she added.

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