Keir Starmer has refused to rule out the possibility of the United Kingdom rejoining the European Union within his lifetime, despite repeated questioning. The Prime Minister was pressed twice on whether he shared Andy Burnham's aspiration for the UK to eventually re-enter the bloc.
Starmer's Stance on EU Relations
Sir Keir stated: "We have been very clear that we want a closer relationship with the EU. And that is what we're achieving. The work that we're doing on youth mobility, that is already work in hand. We now have a further summit this year, on the 22nd of July. I had a very successful bilateral with Ursula [von der Leyen] yesterday, and that will be an opportunity for us to build on what we've already achieved, and to bring the EU and the UK closer together."
He added: "I think that's the right thing to do. And one of the reasons that we've been able to make such good progress with the EU is, firstly, a joint recognition by myself and EU leaders, that we shouldn't spend the whole time looking backwards to Brexit, and going over and over the Brexit vote, we should look forward to what a relationship with the EU looks like. And the second is, we agreed that we wouldn't do diplomacy by sort of shouting into megaphones. We actually do it in a professional, quiet way, and we've made real progress with that."
When pressed by the Express, he added: "We've got a clear manifesto commitment in terms of not rejoining the EU, and that's why we've gone for the closer relationship that we're building. We're slowly but surely building with the EU."
Context of Brexit Anniversary
Britain will mark 10 years since the EU referendum next week, when 17.4 million people voted to leave. Sir Keir has put resetting the UK’s relationship with the European Union at the heart of his government but has stopped short of calling for Britain to formally become part of it again.
Reactions from Political Figures
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: "Starmer’s refusal to rule out wanting to see the UK rejoin the EU is further confirmation Labour still cannot accept the Brexit vote and are laying the groundwork to undo the biggest democratic vote in British history. The British people voted to leave the European Union, not spend the next decade being dragged back towards it piece by piece."
Mr Burnham, who looks set to launch a leadership challenge on Friday if he wins the crunch Makerfield by-election, said in September he wants to see Britain back in the bloc in his lifetime. Despite this, Mr Burnham last month promised not to "re-run" Brexit arguments and said he was not proposing the UK considers rejoining the European Union. In a speech at a conference, Mr Burnham said: "My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments." He added: "I am not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU. I respect the decision that was made at the referendum and it is going to undermine everything I have said about strengthening democracy if we don't respect that vote."
Upcoming EU-UK Summit
The second EU-UK summit will take place in Brussels on July 22 as part of the Labour administration’s attempt to reset relations with the bloc a decade on from the Brexit vote. A youth mobility deal, allowing British and EU member state citizens under 30 to live, work and study in each other’s countries, is set to be agreed at the summit. But there have been wranglings over tuition fees for EU students in England, UK calls for a cap on the numbers who can take part in the scheme and uncertainty over the willingness of European nations to issue visas for British youths.
The date for the summit was announced as Sir Keir met the EU’s leaders in the margins of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, where he said Britain would be at the “heart of Europe” under his reset plans.
