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Andy Burnham has reaffirmed his position on Brexit, emphasizing that he does not intend to reopen debates about the UK’s membership in the European Union. Speaking at a conference in Leeds, the Greater Manchester mayor made it clear that although he views Brexit as having caused harm, he believes dwelling on the issue will trap Britain in an ongoing cycle of unproductive arguments. Burnham, who is poised to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party if he wins the Makerfield by-election, stated, “My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments.”
Previously, in September, Burnham had expressed a personal hope to see the UK rejoin the EU within his lifetime. However, during his recent speech, he stressed his respect for the referendum result and dismissed any suggestion that the UK should reconsider rejoining the bloc, saying, “I am not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU. I respect the decision that was made at the referendum and it is going to undermine everything I have said about strengthening democracy if we don’t respect that vote.” His stance contrasts with comments from former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who recently described Brexit as a “catastrophic mistake” and advocated for the UK to eventually re-enter the EU.
In the political arena ahead of the Makerfield by-election, Burnham faces several procedural steps before formally entering Parliament, including selection by the local Labour Party after Josh Simons, the sitting MP, stepped down to make way for him. Makerfield is a constituency that supported Brexit by a significant margin in 2016, adding complexity to any campaign focused on EU membership. The by-election is expected to be fiercely contested, especially since Reform UK, the party holding a strong presence locally with around 50% of the vote share in recent elections, plans to mount an aggressive campaign. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has pledged to “throw absolutely everything at” the contest.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has addressed speculation about a leadership change should Burnham win the seat. When asked if he would set a timeline for stepping down as prime minister, Starmer responded firmly, “I’m not going to do that,” reiterating his commitment to the role despite recent political turbulence following poor election results and resignations within his team. Starmer described the upcoming by-election as “a fight between Labour and Reform” and confirmed his full support for the Labour candidate, emphasizing the necessity to rebuild trust with voters and improve the party’s standing
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