Burnham warns ministers to keep quiet on Brexit choices before review
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham told cabinet members not to push individual Brexit positions publicly until a government review and an upcoming European summit set the next stage of Labour’s approach.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday urged cabinet colleagues not to air their personal views on the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the European Union. In a letter to frontbenchers, he condemned the current Conservative-negotiated deal as “bad for the UK” and argued that it had produced a harder Brexit than was promised in the 2016 referendum.
Burnham stressed the need for discipline and coordination in government communication, saying, "> It is important that we remain aligned and disciplined as a government in our messaging throughout this period. It will not be appropriate for ministers individually to advocate for specific options or opine on the likely outcome of the process."
The prime minister’s comments came ahead of a European summit due next month, which he said would begin the first stage of Labour’s Brexit reform plan, in line with the party’s 2024 manifesto – staying outside the EU customs union and single market and not bringing back free movement. More far-reaching changes, he said, would wait until after the next general election and be decided by the public and a future parliament.
During prime-minister’s questions, Burnham repeated his criticism of the existing deal, saying the UK had been “paralysed” by the opposition party after the referendum. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and other ministers have reportedly voiced concerns about possible revisions that might reintroduce free movement, an issue Burnham has flagged as a potential topic for discussion.
Burnham said any major change in the UK-EU relationship must reflect the altered realities on both sides over the past decade and be built on practical, mutually realistic arrangements.