UK PM Burnham says ‘status quo’ with Brussels is ‘not enough’ as he details upcoming EU summit
Published on •Updated
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said relations between the UK and Brussels must change, as he addressed Parliament ahead of next month’s UK-EU summit.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Burnham told MPs that “sticking to the current status quo is not good enough for Britain” and that a conversation about future relationships must take place “if we are serious about promoting growth, controlling immigration, defending our values and our security”.
“Worse still, it would be a major dereliction of duty for the government to “turn away” from exploring options for a closer relationship with the European Union, he continued, adding that its “immediate priority” was to achieve a “positive outcome at the summit”, scheduled for November 20.
He stressed that the British public would be “the boss” at “every step” of the process.
Burnham has repeatedly signaled his intention to move the UK closer to the EU since taking office in July and recently said rejoining the bloc was one of several options for the country to move forward.
The Prime Minister told an audience at the Labor Party’s annual conference in Liverpool last month that Brexit had “done more harm than good” and that the UK needed a clear strategy on its long-term relationship with Brussels.
“We will not give Britain the clear path forward we need for the rest of this century until we decide on a long-term relationship with what remains our largest market,” he said at the time.
On Monday, Burnham said the November summit would focus on boosting growth and controlling illegal immigration, while other issues “on the table” would be a food and drink trade deal, linking energy systems, an emissions trading deal and a youth experience program.
“We must not turn our backs on this opportunity,” he added.
Right-wing figures in Britain have accused Labor of seeking to reopen the contentious Brexit debate, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch saying on Monday that Burnham was “detaching” from the withdrawal agreement with the EU and would not get a better deal.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “really looking forward” to the upcoming summit and that “the EU and the UK have a lot to achieve together”.
“Let’s be ambitious and meet the expectations of citizens on both sides of the Channel,” she wrote on social networks on Monday.
RAF Fairford incident
Elsewhere in his speech, Burnham said an incident at a British air base in September was “almost certainly directed” by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while warning that Britain “will not tolerate these threats.”
On September 27, five men were arrested near RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, southwest England, on suspicion of explosive attacks, before being rearrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist act. They were later released on police bail.
Police later arrested another 25-year-old man, a British and Iranian national, in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in connection with the incident. A 22-year-old British man was then arrested on October 6, also in London, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Both were released on police bail.
According to the UK’s counter-terrorism police, the seven men remain on bail as specialist teams “continue to pursue all lines of inquiry”.
RAF Fairford is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. It also served as the preferred forward operating site for USAF Global Strike Command in Europe.
In July, the IRGC said it was aware the base was being used by US bombers as part of Washington’s military operations against Iran and warned the UK that “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces”.
The United States has now withdrawn its bombers from Fairford.
Gn world
