Only one option on Europe: Burnham must seize moment now

Andy Burnham should “signal to the EU today that the UK is ready to apply for membership”, campaigners have stressed, after the Prime Minister said he would lay out the different options on our future relationship with Europe.

The comments came during Burnham’s first party conference speech as Labour leader. He said: “Later this year, there will be a UK-EU summit where one of the issues on the agenda will be how we best work together on immigration.”

And he added: “I will take the opportunity around the summit to lay out to you – to lay out to the country – what I believe the different options are for Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners. And there are different options. And I will see if we can find consensus around one which will give us clarity about our position and the future of the continent that we live in.”

Naomi Smith, Chief Executive of Best for Britain, said: 

“Our best-in-class, seat-level polling resoundingly demonstrates half-measures on Europe won’t deliver a Labour-led government at the next general election, or protect us from the waking nightmare of Prime Minister Nigel Farage. 

“We said it needed to be a deafening alarm bell to every slumbering Labour MP and snoozing No10 strategist. Burnham’s speech today proves he’s wide awake – and alive to the dangers. There’s only one option for our future relationship with Europe that will deliver both the economic growth promised for every postcode and the political dividend required to keep Labour in power.

“It’s vital the Labour government seizes this moment, not in 2029 or a year, or six months time. With the public behind him, progressives imploring them, and the economic case etched in stone, we should signal to the EU – today – that the UK is ready to apply for membership, to take us back to where we belong at the heart of Europe.”