Andy Burnham has argued that reopening the Brexit debate would plunge the United Kingdom back into a rut, just days after Wes Streeting suggested rejoining the European Union.
Burnham's Warning on Brexit Reversal
The Greater Manchester Mayor stated that re-running arguments about Brexit is the last thing the country should be doing. A decade after the divisive referendum on leaving the EU, the issue remains contentious. Wes Streeting's weekend intervention, where he described Brexit as a 'catastrophic mistake' and floated the idea of rejoining, could not have come at a worse time for Burnham.
Burnham is currently campaigning in a by-election in a constituency that voted heavily for Brexit, and Nigel Farage is expected to relish the opportunity to revive this battle. Burnham's camp has already described the former Health Secretary's remarks as 'unhelpful', with some allies even accusing Streeting of sabotage.
It is also awkward that Burnham himself has previously suggested rejoining the EU, telling the Labour Party conference last year: 'I hope it happens in my lifetime.' However, in a speech on Monday, he was keen to distance himself from this position, warning that Britain would be caught in a permanent rut if it continues to revisit the same arguments.
'My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments,' Burnham said.
Focus on Reconnecting with Working Class Voters
Burnham wants to concentrate on how to reconnect the Labour Party with working class voters. An argument over the European Union does not appear to be the way to achieve that goal.
It is worth remembering what a huge gamble Burnham has taken by standing in Makerfield and how much is at stake if he loses. In the local elections, Reform secured 50.4% of votes for council wards in the constituency, more than double Labour's 22.7%, while the Greens received 10.9%.
Labour is not defending a huge majority either. Outgoing MP Josh Simons won the seat by 5,399 votes in 2024, with Reform still securing more than 12,000 votes.
Public Opinion on Rejoining the EU
Across the country, public opinion seems broadly in favour of rejoining the EU. Last month, polling by YouGov found that 55% would be in favour, compared to 33% against. However, any move to rejoin would require a mandate, either through a referendum or a manifesto backed by voters. The current Labour leadership has made it clear that reversing Brexit is not on the table, and many strongly believe now is not the time to have that debate.
Labour MP Jonathan Hinder expressed disbelief that the issue has become a talking point at such a critical time. He fumed: 'If I went into the Wallace Hartley pub in my constituency and I said to them, "you know that thing we just did which paralysed our politics, which tore our country apart, that we said we were done with... If I said to them we're going to reopen it, and we're going to reopen it all", they would rightly look at me as if I had gone mad. They'd say, "you are off your rocker if you think the priority for the British people right now is to restart this debate."'
