Andy Burnham, the Labour Prime Minister, is being accused of having "lost the plot" over his plans to take Britain back into the European Union, according to a new opinion piece in the Daily Express. The article, by Harvey Jones, describes the move as "the craziest imaginable time" to seek re-entry.
Historical Reversals on Europe
The piece traces Britain's shifting attitudes to Europe, noting that while the left once opposed joining the Common Market in 1973 under Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath, the positions reversed in the 1980s. Margaret Thatcher became hostile to European integration, while the left saw the EU as a way to protect trade-union powers.
The 2016 Brexit vote divided the nation and the main parties, with many Tories favouring a soft Brexit and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appearing content to leave.
Clashes With EU Rules
The article argues that Burnham's own policies could conflict with EU rules. It points to Labour's VAT on public school fees, despite an EU exemption for education, and suggests plans for public ownership of railways could be blocked by EU competition and rail-market rules.
It also highlights that the EU has swung to the right, with populist parties surging. Italy is governed by Giorgia Meloni's Right-wing coalition, the far-Right AfD is winning in Germany, and Marine Le Pen's National Rally leads France's 2027 presidential race.
Existential Crisis in Europe
The piece questions the wisdom of joining an EU whose key players, France and Germany, are in "existential crisis." France faces uncontrolled debts, and Germany's car industry has been crushed by Chinese competition.
It also notes that some on the Left are waking up to the reality, with Unison co-sponsoring a TUC motion warning that reviving the EU debate would "reopen old wounds." The article concludes that Labour should realise its leader is pushing to join a club whose politics are moving in the opposite direction.
