Thursday, May 21Thursday, May 21Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a potential rival to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has publicly distanced himself from calls for the UK to rejoin the European Union. Burnham, who is running in the upcoming Makerfield by-election—a pro-Brexit constituency—stated that he is not proposing a return to the EU, arguing that Britain would be "stuck in a permanent rut" if it continued to debate Brexit. Instead, he emphasized a "relentless domestic focus," urging the country to "fix our own country" rather than revisiting past divisions . His stance reflects a strategic shift to appeal to voters in a constituency where Brexit remains a contentious issue.
The renewed debate over EU re-entry follows comments from Labour figures, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who previously suggested the UK should reconsider its relationship with the EU. However, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy dismissed such calls as a "sixth-form debating position," warning that internal Labour divisions over Brexit would play into the hands of the right-wing Reform Party. Lammy emphasized that the public would not tolerate prolonged debates on the EU, particularly ahead of the Makerfield by-election, where Labour faces a direct challenge from Reform .
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reinforced Labour’s focus on domestic policy, avoiding any commitment to reopening Brexit discussions. In a speech at Labour Party headquarters, Starmer highlighted the government’s economic and social achievements, including strong GDP growth, NHS improvements, and reforms such as the Employment Rights Act. He framed the upcoming by-election as a battle between Labour and Reform, urging party unity to defeat the far-right challenger. Starmer’s remarks underscored his determination to avoid distractions from Brexit, instead prioritizing governance and delivering tangible change for voters .
The European Commission has remained non-committal on the prospect of UK re-entry, stating that current discussions focus on "closer cooperation in a number of areas" rather than speculation about renewed EU membership. A spokesperson indicated that the Commission would only address the issue if the UK formally pursued re-joining . The political landscape suggests that while Brexit remains a divisive topic, Labour’s leadership is prioritizing electoral strategy and domestic policy over revisiting EU membership.
> Background: **Labours Brexit divisions deepen as Starmer faces leadership pressure ahead of Makerfield vote.** — *6 hours ago*
More LFE coverage on this topic
Andy Burnham backs away from call for Britain to rejoin EU Rival to Keir Starmer is trying to win election in pro-Brexit constituency
financial times · 2 days ago
Andy Burnham backs away from rejoining EU Rival to Keir Starmer is trying to win election in pro-Brexit constituency
financial times · 2 days ago
![I am not going to walk away, says Starmer – UK politics live The prime minister said he wouldnt be setting out a timetable to stand down if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield byelectionJakub Krupa writes the Guardians Europe live blog.The European Commission has been asked about its response to the renewed talk about Britains potential future attempt to rejoin the European Union – but did not take a bait.At this stage, there are discussions on closer cooperation in a number of areas, thats where we are, and thats what we are doing precisely in preparation for the next summit rather than speculating about big or renewed issues.We are not there. If we ever are in that situation, I will gladly reply to [this question].I just wanted to come here to Labour party headquarters to say a big thank you to you. The election results were not the ones that we wanted, they were really tough. But you worked your socks off.
Its not been easy circumstances in the last 10 days. But you have just got on with the job that we asked you to do.
If you look at just some of the figures that came out last week. We had growth figures that were the best in the G7. Thats because of the hard work that weve done in government. On the economy weve got ourselves into a good position, having inherited a real basket case from the last government.
The NHS figures were really good, which again vindicates what we did, which was invest in the NHS, which is what we said we would do.
And thats on top of all the other things … The Employment Rights Act. The biggest upgrade in renters rights in a generation.
And then of course all the work that we are doing around child poverty, of which I am really proud. What a game changer that will be for a whole generation and will be measured for years and years to come because the children will feel the impact for the rest of their lives. They will have chances they wouldnt otherwise have had.
The election results tell us that people are frustrated, they dont feel that their lives have changed quickly enough.
We need to build up the urgency of what we do. We need a bit more hope in there. And we need to remember at all times what we are here to do. We were elected to government to serve the people of this country.
And I remind myself every day that in July 2024 millions of people voted for us to come into government, to get on with the job, to govern, and to bring about the change that they want.
So I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as prime minister of this country. Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life. And that is what I am going to be doing.
We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is. Whoever they are I am going to support them 100 and I want every member, everyone in our movement, to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in. Continue reading...](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3d4cb48b2b793e697ba61a5eda3e11be8cc2d378/500_0_5000_4000/master/5000.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=4592a1391f1911cd9c37b56b7be83fb0)
I am not going to walk away, says Starmer – UK politics live The prime minister said he wouldnt be setting out a timetable to stand down if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield byelectionJakub Krupa writes the Guardians Europe live blog.The European Commission has been asked about its response to the renewed talk about Britains potential future attempt to rejoin the European Union – but did not take a bait.At this stage, there are discussions on closer cooperation in a number of areas, thats where we are, and thats what we are doing precisely in preparation for the next summit rather than speculating about big or renewed issues.We are not there. If we ever are in that situation, I will gladly reply to [this question].I just wanted to come here to Labour party headquarters to say a big thank you to you. The election results were not the ones that we wanted, they were really tough. But you worked your socks off. Its not been easy circumstances in the last 10 days. But you have just got on with the job that we asked you to do. If you look at just some of the figures that came out last week. We had growth figures that were the best in the G7. Thats because of the hard work that weve done in government. On the economy weve got ourselves into a good position, having inherited a real basket case from the last government. The NHS figures were really good, which again vindicates what we did, which was invest in the NHS, which is what we said we would do. And thats on top of all the other things … The Employment Rights Act. The biggest upgrade in renters rights in a generation. And then of course all the work that we are doing around child poverty, of which I am really proud. What a game changer that will be for a whole generation and will be measured for years and years to come because the children will feel the impact for the rest of their lives. They will have chances they wouldnt otherwise have had. The election results tell us that people are frustrated, they dont feel that their lives have changed quickly enough. We need to build up the urgency of what we do. We need a bit more hope in there. And we need to remember at all times what we are here to do. We were elected to government to serve the people of this country. And I remind myself every day that in July 2024 millions of people voted for us to come into government, to get on with the job, to govern, and to bring about the change that they want. So I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as prime minister of this country. Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life. And that is what I am going to be doing. We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is. Whoever they are I am going to support them 100 and I want every member, everyone in our movement, to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in. Continue reading...
theguardian · 2 days ago
UK Rejoin EU Debate Reignites After Burnham Clarifies Position Manchester 2026 MANCHESTER, United Kingdom – May 18, 2026 – Brussels Morning Newspaper — UK rejoin EU discussions have once again moved into Britains political spotlight after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham stated publicly that he is not proposing the United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union. His comments come amid renewed national debate over Brexit, trade policy, and Britains […]
brussels morning · 2 days ago
Andy Burnham sets out battle line over Brexit after Wes Streetings rejoin EU call
gdeltproject.org · 2 days ago
Andy Burnham says he will not try to return UK to EU Burnham vows to have relentless domestic focus in first speech since announcing Makerfield byelection runUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has said he will not try to return the UK into the EU, saying Britain would be stuck in a a permanent rut if were just constantly arguing.In his first major speech since announcing his byelection run, the mayor of Greater Manchester said he would have a relentless domestic focus in Makerfield, saying: Lets fix our own country. Lets get it working again. Lets get it back to where people want it to be. Continue reading...
theguardian · 2 days ago
Keir Starmer says hell support any Labour byelection candidate (even if they want his job) Labour MP Josh Simons officially left Westminster today to make way for the byelection.
thejournal · 3 days ago
Lammy dismisses Streetings call for UK to rejoin EU as sixth form debating position – UK politics live Deputy PM says the public will not forgive weeks of internal debate on the EU and Labour leadership, warning it will play into Reforms handsJessica Elgot is the Guardians deputy political editor.Keir Starmer has been visiting Labour HQ this morning and speaking to staff, saying the party needs to offer a bit more hope.I just wanted to come here to Labour party headquarters to say a big thank you to you. The election results were not the ones that we wanted, they were really tough. But you worked your socks off. Its not been easy circumstances in the last 10 days. But you have just got on with the job that we asked you to do. If you look at just some of the figures that came out last week. We had growth figures that were the best in the G7. Thats because of the hard work that weve done in government. On the economy weve got ourselves into a good position, having inherited a real basket case from the last government. The NHS figures were really good, which again vindicates what we did, which was invest in the NHS, which is what we said we would do. And thats on top of all the other things … The Employment Rights Act. The biggest upgrade in renters rights in a generation. And then of course all the work that we are doing around child poverty, of which I am really proud. What a game changer that will be for a whole generation and will be measured for years and years to come because the children will feel the impact for the rest of their lives. They will have chances they wouldnt otherwise have had. The election results tell us that people are frustrated, they dont feel that their lives have changed quickly enough. We need to build up the urgency of what we do. We need a bit more hope in there. And we need to remember at all times what we are here to do. We were elected to government to serve the people of this country. And I remind myself every day that in July 2024 millions of people voted for us to come into government, to get on with the job, to govern, and to bring about the change that they want. So I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as prime minister of this country. Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life. And that is what I am going to be doing. We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is. Whoever they are I am going to support them 100 and I want every member, everyone in our movement, to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in. Continue reading...
theguardian · 3 days ago