Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Tuesday he will outline options for the UK‑EU relationship at a summit slated for July in Brussels.
He warned that the 2016 referendum and the 2020 exit have ushered in a decade of sluggish growth, arguing that Britain’s position has weakened without the regulatory and trade collaboration it enjoyed as an EU member.
Burnham also challenged the narrative that the UK lost control of immigration after leaving the bloc, insisting that the ability to manage migration was actually constrained by the loss of EU cooperation.
The summit, which had been postponed after Labour’s leadership change, aims to cover a range of issues, including food and animal safety standards, a youth mobility scheme, and the harmonisation of emissions trading schemes.
EU officials have welcomed the opportunity to renegotiate terms, but they warn that any new arrangement will need to respect existing commitments under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Burnham will present a draft framework on July 15, after which the UK and EU will negotiate the specifics of a long‑term partnership.