The UK is said to be discussing a series of options for closer alignment with the bloc, according to sources quoted by The Times, who said the “conversation is happening” with the EU and that discussions would take place before any formal announcement by the prime minister.
Mr Burnham will meet EU leaders at a Brussels summit in late November, where he is hoping to secure agreements for closer ties. The two sides hope to reach a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement covering food and drink standards, and to make progress on the Made in Europe scheme, with UK negotiators hoping to secure a carve out from the scheme, which is designed to protect European industries from unfair Chinese competition.
Speaking on Monday, the prime minister insisted he would not “move ahead of the public” or “dictate” his own beliefs, arguing that Brexit has not “played out as people said it would at the time.” He ruled out rejoining the EU within this Parliament and repeated that he would not return the UK to freedom of movement rules without a referendum.
Mr Burnham blamed Britain’s migrant crisis on Brexit, saying leaving the EU had left the UK with “weaker control.” “The reason the small boats crisis has arisen is because we can’t return people, and people know we can’t do that in the same way that we used to be able to do,” he said.
The comments come weeks after Mr Burnham said the UK could go “all the way” and rejoin the bloc, while insisting the British public would “be the boss” of the nation’s future. He has promised to stick to Sir Keir Starmer’s red lines for the duration of this Parliament, which exclude a return to freedom of movement, the single market or the customs union. This weekend he signalled that a return to freedom of movement could be put in Labour’s next election manifesto.
Mr Burnham insisted a general election would not be called “any time soon,” amid speculation he could go to the country early to secure a mandate of his own and put proposals to rejoin to voters.