Andy Burnham's so-called 'surrender deal' with the European Union could be moving one step closer after the Prime Minister rubbed shoulders with EU leaders in Ireland. The Labour PM has talked about wanting a "reset" in UK relations with the European Union, a sign critics believe he wants to go against the historic 2016 vote when the British people voted to leave the bloc.
Mr Burnham is due in Brussels on November 20 for a summit on greater integration with Europe, which he claims is a "win-win" deal for Britain. Ahead of next week's meeting, the UK and EU agreed a draft deal on removing post-Brexit checks from food and agriculture exports. However, there are fears some foods could be banned as the UK agrees to become subservient to EU rules.
Potential watering down of Brexit measures
Other potential watering down of Brexit measures could include the UK making contributions to Brussels' bank account, youth 'free movement', and low-cost tuition fees for European students.
Former Conservative Prime Minister Lord Cameron, who resigned after the Brexit result a decade ago, warned of the "dangers" of flirting with rejoining Europe, which could scupper an existing relationship built up over 10 years. "If you're not going to, you know, commit to trying to make the partnership stronger because you're flirting with rejoining, I think there's some dangers there," he said.
PM's 'win-win' claim
After his meeting in Dublin with his EU counterparts, which also saw leaders discuss support for Ukraine in the war against Russia, Mr Burnham said: "I believe there is a good deal to be done that could be a win-win for Britain and Europe. I think it actually could be more like the Brexit that people thought they were voting for in 2016."
Speaking at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Ireland, the PM added he would "fight now, over the days to come, to make sure we get this deal over the line".
Criticism from political figures
But Tory former Cabinet minister Priti Patel warned: "Andy Burnham's obsession with the EU risks dragging Britain backwards, damaging our economy and leaving hardworking British taxpayers footing the bill. The British people voted to leave the EU. That democratic decision must be respected, not endlessly undermined by the liberal left establishment who refuse to accept it. We need a government focused on Britain's future, not one obsessed with returning to its past."
Lord Cameron has urged Andy Burnham not to trigger a "decade-long debate" about whether to rejoin the European Union. The former Prime Minister, who stood down from Downing Street in the wake of the EU referendum after fronting the campaign to remain, said starting a conversation about rejoining the bloc would be "very long and painful".
In an interview with Bloomberg, Lord Cameron said he was "desperately disappointed" when the UK voted to leave the EU 10 years ago, but warned against seeking to reverse the decision. He said that "flirting with rejoining" could undermine efforts to get a better partnership deal with the bloc, because EU countries may think there is no point in doing so if the UK is set to rejoin anyway.
He appeared lukewarm on the possibility of rejoining a customs union, saying today's economic problems are not down to Brexit. "Our economic problems are we are overspending, over-borrowing, over-taxing, over-regulated, and far too much being spent on working age welfare. Those are a set of problems that have nothing to do with Brexit," he said. "Do we really want to go into another decade-long debate about whether we should be in or out, when actually we should deal with our own problems while making the partnership model work?"
The EU's former chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier recently warned of trade-offs for deeper ties with the bloc, saying there will be "no cherry picking".
