Tony Blair's policy institute has called for Britain to set a course for re-entry into a "reformed European Union" over the next decade, urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to consider advice he has previously been wary of taking.
The former prime minister, who left Downing Street in 2007, has been consulted by many successors, including Burnham, who met Blair secretly in 2010 when he was a cabinet member under Gordon Brown, wary of revealing his leadership ambitions. Since then, Burnham has distanced himself from New Labour, and this week he kept Blair away from the Labour party conference in Liverpool.
Blair's Essay and Burnham's Response
Blair's 5,700-word essay earlier this year argued Britain had no power to stop the AI revolution or Donald Trump, drawing criticism over his ties to big tech and US presidents. Burnham responded that Blair didn't get "what's going on" with the impact of "40 years of neoliberalism" on working-class communities, and later promised that voters in Makerfield would be his test for good policy.
However, Burnham's claim that Blair agreed on focusing on domestic issues rather than re-running EU arguments was disingenuous, as the essay focused on Britain's inability to navigate a fast-changing international landscape. Conflicts in Ukraine, Russia, and the Middle East have pressured borrowing costs and fuel bills, and Burnham's domestic vision of mayoral powers and utility regulation may not deliver "good growth in every postcode" soon.
Relations with Europe Stalling
This week, Burnham acknowledged the need for "resilience" against global storms, delivering a speech to the UN in New York that ranged from Manchester to Ukraine, Israel, Iran, and China, covering climate, AI safety standards, and Russian disinformation. Blair's institute paper, published Thursday, argues the need for UK-EU capability in defence and AI is more pressing than ever, citing polls showing public and Labour voter support for rejoining.
Yet relations with Europe appear to have gone backwards. The EU Commission president's state of the union speech referenced Canada, offering associate membership, while barely mentioning the UK. An EU-UK summit, delayed from May to July and then to an unconfirmed date, and a youth mobility scheme risks being unstitched by objections from Burnham's ministers over his "Makerfield test".
Mixed Messages and Future Plans
There are mixed messages on a potential deal, with some believing Burnham may leap beyond election pledges preventing rejoining a customs union or single market. Questions have been raised about how a case for re-entry could feature in his conference speech, the 10-year plan, or Labour's next manifesto, which Burnham hasn't ruled out. There has been no contact between Burnham and Blair since he entered Downing Street, and no meeting is scheduled, but on Europe, Blair might still offer useful advice.
