Labour minister warns Burnham not to drag Britain back into the Brexit dead end
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Labour frontbenchers warned that the party leader's suggestion to revisit EU membership could alienate voters in former Leave constituencies and damage the party's electoral prospects, with critics saying the issue should not be reopened to score political points.
Labour minister Graham Stringer warned party leader Andy Burnham that reopening the Brexit discussion could once again stir up division in constituencies that voted to leave the EU. The warning came as Burnham signalled a possible shift toward a closer relationship with the bloc, including the option of re-joining the EU after the next general election.
Burnham has said he wants to see Britain re-enter the EU within his lifetime and has kept the door open to membership without a second referendum. He is expected to outline a range of relationship options after a UK-EU summit in Brussels on Nov. 20, including the possibility of re-joining the single market and forming a new customs union.
Frontbenchers expressed concern that such a pivot could backfire with the public and damage Labour’s chances at the next election. One minister from a former Leave constituency said, "It concerns me and my patch. I’m worried about it reopening old wounds."
Another Labour MP cautioned against committing to EU re-membership in the party’s next manifesto, arguing that the public is not yet ready for that step. A Red Wall MP added that any public conversation on the issue must be handled carefully, given mixed views in marginal seats.
Stringer, who supported Brexit in 2016, called the proposal to revisit freedom of movement "completely wrong" and said the economic data used to justify it were inaccurate. He also noted rising youth unemployment, warning that increased migration could exacerbate the problem. Stringer concluded, "He has no mandate for this. I don’t think people want to revisit the Brexit debate."
Burnham previously called for an "evidence-based debate" on freedom of movement, but his deputy later clarified that the prime minister is not proposing a return to unrestricted movement.