Prime Minister Burnham to urge MPs to forge closer ties with EU — The Guardian
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to urge members of the House of Commons to support closer cooperation with the European Union. In a statement after the party conference recess, he is expected to raise the issue of the consequences of Brexit and stress the need to reach better arrangements with the EU, The Guardian reports.
Negotiations with the European Union
According to the publication, Burnham will say that the United Kingdom cannot turn down opportunities for broader cooperation with Europe and that maintaining the current state of relations is no longer sufficient. He will urge MPs from different political parties to assess the country’s relations with the EU pragmatically.
The prime minister is expected to argue that closer interaction is needed because it could simultaneously strengthen migration control and support economic growth. Ahead of the upcoming UK-EU summit, ministers are seeking progress in removing trade barriers, including bureaucratic procedures for food imports and exports, as well as in cooperation on migration.
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Brexit debate
On the same day, MPs are due to consider in Westminster Hall a petition calling on the United Kingdom to apply to rejoin the EU. The document has collected more than 111,000 signatures.
Burnham’s statement will come amid new disagreements over the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU. Senior representatives of the Conservative Party promise to reverse the Labour government’s steps towards closer ties with the EU, including the proposed agreement to facilitate trade in food and agricultural goods after Brexit. Businesses warn that abandoning such arrangements could prolong the costs and uncertainty associated with border checks and paperwork.
Some Labour Party MPs are also concerned about the revival of the Brexit debate. Representatives of constituencies that previously supported leaving the EU fear that this could once again intensify longstanding political divisions.
