Burnham seeks new post-Brexit deals at November EU summit

Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he will seek new post-Brexit agreements with the European Union at a summit in Brussels next month, arguing that deeper cooperation on youth mobility, food and drink, and energy would help drive economic growth. He told MPs that Labour’s commitments to stay outside the EU single market and customs union and reject freedom of movement would remain in place until the next election.

In a statement to Parliament, Burnham said his “immediate priority” was securing a successful outcome at the November summit. The talks will cover reducing checks on food and drink exports, improving energy trading, coordinating on immigration and establishing a “new youth experience scheme”. According to the BBC, Burnham claimed the agreements under discussion could add the equivalent of £10 billion a year to the economy by 2040.

“Sticking with the status quo is not good enough for Britain,” Burnham said. He described the costs of paperwork and border delays for exporters: “Fresh meat and fish spoil while waiting in trucks, and tonnes of exports have to be written off.” Burnham said Scottish salmon faced a 100% rate of document checks at the border, costing around £100 million in lost exports. A food agreement, he said, could also ease pressure on supermarket prices.

Burnham said an agreement involving emissions trading could lower energy costs for households and businesses. According to the BBC, he said it could cut wholesale energy costs in Northern Ireland by 20%. He also hopes to rebuild links with EU police and security agencies to improve information-sharing and help tackle smuggling gangs.

The prime minister warned that the EU’s proposed Made in Europe measures posed “a risk to UK manufacturing”. The BBC reported that the proposals aim to protect EU industry from Chinese competitors but could affect British manufacturers and supply chains. Burnham said he was seeking an arrangement that worked for the UK.

Burnham said the summit should be followed by “a serious dialogue about the different options for our relationship in the long term”. Labour’s existing Brexit commitments would remain in place until the next election, he said. “At every stage, the British public will be the boss,” he told MPs.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Burnham of “unpicking the deal this country signed with the EU” and said he would not secure a better one. She argued that he had revealed too much before negotiations. Conservative Nigel Huddleston warned that provisions in Britain’s other trade agreements could complicate changes to its EU arrangements.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey welcomed Burnham’s recognition of the “damage” caused by Brexit but urged him to go further and seek talks on joining the single market and customs union.

In an interview released Sunday, Burnham also said it was “clear” Russia had interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. Al Jazeera reported that he provided no evidence for the claim.